THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE    STORY 

OF    THE 

LIFE   AND    WORK 

OF 

OREN    B.   CHENEY 

Founder  and  First  President 
o  F 

Bates  College 

B  Y 

EMELINE   BURLINGAME-CHENEY 


Published  for  Bates  College  by  the 
Morning  Star  Publishing  House 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  '.'  '.'  igoj 


I     AM     QUAD    VOU    ARE    WRITING    THE     LIFE     OF     THIS 
ONE     OF    THE    BEST     MEN      I      EVER     KNEW. 

SI  NCERELY 

WM.     p.     FRYE. 


Stack 
Annex 

Cage 

LD 


13717 


To    ALL    WHO    HAVE    BEEN    BLESSED    BY    His 

UIFE    AND    WORKS. 


865521 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTBR  PACK 

I     Ancestry ;  Boyhood  i 

II     Conditions  in  Country  and  Church       1 1 

III  School;  Relation  of  Early  Free-Will 

Baptists  to  Education  ;  Parsons- 
field  Seminary;  First  School 
Temperance  Society ;  Religious 
Experience  .  .  .  19 

IV  The  Young  Teacher ;  College  Life  ; 

Baptism ;  Opposition  to  Religious 
Service  in  School  House  ;  Work 
for  the  Indians ;  Sunday  Serv- 
ices ;  "Male  and  Female 
Created  He  them"  ...  29 
V  Teacher  ;  Marriage  ;  Parsonsfield — 
Teacher — Preacher ;  First  Ser- 
mon ;  Whitestown ;  Theological 
Student— Teacher ;  Death  of  Mrs. 
Cheney  .  -43 

VI  Christian  Politician  ;  Pastor — Leb- 
anon ;  Lebanon  Academy ;  Au- 
gusta ;  Legislature;  A  New 
Home  Life  ....  53 
VII  Augusta  Pastorate;  Political  Activ- 
ity ;  Official  Position  ;  Editorial 
Contributor  to  the  Morning  Star  67 


VIII  The  Vision;  Maine  State  Semi- 
nary ;  Difficulty  in  Securing  a 
Charter ;  Location  in  Lewiston  ; 
Charles  Sumner  Furnishes  a 
School  Motto;  Letters  from 
Charles  Sumner  ...  83 

IX  General  Conference  in  Maineville, 
Ohio  ;  Political  Excitement ; 
Stirring  Incidents ;  Plans  for 
Raising  Money  for  the  Seminary ; 
Children's  Offering  .  .  101 

X  Opening  of  Maine  State  Seminary  ; 
First  Year's  Success  ;  Financial 
Panic;  Brighter  Days  .  in 

XI  Contemporary  Events;  College 
Needed ;  Opposition  Denned ; 
Benjamin  E.  Bates  Promises 
Fifty  Thousand  Dollars ;  Trust- 
ees vote  in  Favor  of  a  College 
Class ;  Professor  J.  Y.  Stanton 
Elected  Teacher  .  .  .121 
XII  Early  College  Days;  Co-Educa- 
tion ;  Interwoven  Incidents  .  141 

XIII  President  Cheney  visits  John 
Storer ;  Mr.  Storer  gives  Ten 
Thousand  Dollars  for  a  Freed- 
men's  School ;  Harper's  Ferry 
Selected  as  the  Location ;  G.  H. 
Ball,  D.D.,  a  Valuable  Helper; 
Rev.  N.  C.  Brackett  Secures  a 


Charter ;  First  Bates  Commence- 
ment .         .         .         .  157 

XIV  Important  Beginnings ;  Effect  of 
Civil  War  on  Status  of  Women  : 
The  Baptist  Union  .  .  .167 
XV  Success  ;  Disaster  ;  Difficulties  Sur- 
mounted ;  After  Ten  Years ;  A 
Character  Sketch  .  .  177 

XVI     Vacation  Experience  ;  Presiding 

Officer  ;  Letter  by  L.  W.  Anthony     187 
XVII     Death  of  Benjamin  E.  Bates ;  Sec- 
ond European  Trip  ;  Delegate  to 
English  Baptists ;  Wine-Drinking 
Incidents   .         .         .         .         .193 
XVIII     Free    Baptist    Centennial ;    Ocean 

Park  ;   College  Extension  Plan   .     205 

XIX  Efforts  for  Christian  Union  ;  Plans 
for  More  Effective  Missionary 
Work ;  Bereavement  .  .  .211 
XX  Faculty  for  Miscellaneous  Work ; 
College  Development ;  Student 
Testimonials ;  Catholicity  and 
Cosmopolitan  Character  of  Bates ; 
The  Student  Body  .  .  .219 

XXI  New  England  Free  Baptist  Associa- 
tion ;  General  Conference  Incor- 
porated ;  General  Conference  at 
Harper's  Ferry ;  President 
Cheney  Moderator ;  His  Politi- 
cal Sagacity  ....  235 


XXII  Ex-President  Cheney ;  Important 
Plans  Uncompleted  ;  Home  Com- 
panionship ;  Testimonial  Ban- 
quet ......  241 

XXIII  The  Sunset  Slope ;  A  Surprise  Party ; 

California   Trip ;    At    Home    in 
Lewiston    .         .         .         .  255 

XXIV  Reflected    Sunshine;   Bates   Round 

Table    Celebrates  Dr.    Cheney's 
Eighty-Seventh  Birthday;  At 

Rest 271 

After- word  279 


Fore-word 


When,  at  the  request  of  the  Trustees  of  Bates 
College,  I  entered  upon  the  work  of  telling  the 
life-story  of  Oren  B.  Cheney,  it  was  with  loving 
appreciation  of  the  twelve  years  of  congenial  com- 
panionship that  had  given  me  such  an  insight  in- 
to his  character,  and  with  deep  gratitude  for  the 
blessings  that  had  come  to  my  life,  through  influ- 
ences exerted  by  the  organizations  originated,  or 
made  more  effective  through  his  efforts. 

If  "  truth  is  stranger  than  fiction  "  real  lives 
must  embody  more  of  interest  than  imaginary 
ones,  and  biographies  should  have  a  keener 
interest  than  works  of  the  imagination.  Lives  are 
made  up  far  more  of  small  and  apparently  unim- 
portant events  than  of  great  ones ;  and  yet  most 
biographies  move  with  stately  tread  along  beaten 
highways,  or  ascend  heights  for  wide  views,  ignor- 
ing the  forest  retreats  where  flowers  grow,  taking 
no  note  of  the  pebbles  and  mosses  in  the  by-paths. 

In  this  life-story,  I  have  so  interwoven  little, 
daily  occurrences  with  important  events  that  what 
may  seem  trivial  to  the  reader  is  sometimes  pre- 
sented with  more  minuteness  than  is  used  in  tell- 
ing of  plans  or  events  generally  denominated 
great ;  but  it  is  with  the  purpose  of  giving  better 
insight  into  the  character  portrayed,  and  of  bring- 
ing the  reader  into  more  sympathetic  touch  with 
his  personality. 


FORE-WORD 


I  am  conscious  of  the  impossibility  of  truly  re- 
producing a  life-history,  but,  as  from  treasured 
rose-leaves  there  continues  to  be  diffused  an 
aroma  that  suggests  the  fragrance  of  the  rose,  so 
these  pages  may  at  least  give  to  the  reader  the 
essence  of  the  life  lived. 

This  is  by  no  means  an  attempted  history  of 
Bates  College,  although  much  is  told  concerning 
its  foundation  and  development.  It  is  left  for 
other  pens  to  do  justice  to  the  faithful,  self-sacri- 
ficing co-workers,  who  helped  bring  the  College  to 
its  present  degree  of  usefulness. 

In  what  is  said  about  Free  Baptists,  the  reader 
must  realize  that  this  is  the  story  of  one  man's 
relation  to  the  denomination,  without  any  attempt 
to  do  adequate  justice  to  other  workers  who  were 
his  associates. 

I  wish  to  express  appreciation  for  the  help 
received  from  the  many  friends  who  have  given 
me  facts,  and  especially  for  invaluable  assistance 
from  the  Associate  Committee,  President  G.  C. 
Chase,  LL.D.,  and  Prof.  A.  W.  Anthony,  D.D. 

E.  B.  C. 


LETTER  FROM  EDWARD  EVERETT  HALE 

In  an  address,  delivered  at  Ocean  Park,  Maine, 
in  August,  1907,  Mrs.  L.  M.  N.  Stevens,  President 
of  the  National  Woman's  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  referred  to  Bates  College,  with  hearty  com- 
mendation of  its  healthy  moral  tone;  and  also  told 
about  hearing  Edward  Everett  Hale  speak  publicly 
with  high  appreciation  of  its  work. 

Wishing  to  obtain  Mr.  Hale's  direct  statement, 
the  author  of  this  book  wrote  him  and  received  in 
reply  the  following  letter: 

BOSTON,  MASS. 
Dear  Mrs.  Cheney: 

I  have  often  found  occasion  to  refer  to  the 
noble  and  self-sacrificing  work  of  your  husband 
in  founding  Bates  College  and  also  to  the  large 
and  valuable  place  which  the  College  is  filling  in 
the  educational  world. 

Wherever  one  goes  in  the  east  or  west  he  comes 
in  contact  with  the  good  work  being  done  by  Bates 
graduates. 

More  than  once  in  traveling  in  the  West,  have 
I  lighted  upon  a  high  school  or  academy  where  I 
have  been  interested  in  the  moral  tone  of  the 
school,  and  on  inquiry  have  found  that  one  of 
your  boys  was  at  the  head  of  it. 

Thanking  you  for  writing  me, 

Yours  sincerely, 

EDW.  E.  HALE. 
Sept.  9,  1907. 


Abigail  Cheney 
Mother  of  Oren  B.  Cheney 


Motes  Cheney 

Father  of  Oren  I'..  Cheney 


ANCESTRY 
BOYHOOD 


I 

On  the  tenth  of  December,  1816,  while  a  snow- 
storm was  raging  without,  in  a  modest,  but  com- 
fortable home,  in  a  quiet  New  Hampshire  village, 
a  blue-eyed  baby  boy  opened  his  eyes  and  caught 
his  first  glimpse  of  life. 

On  December  twenty-second,  1903,  those  eyes 
closed  on  earthly  scenes  and  a  few  days  later  a 
stately  form  was  laid  at  rest.  The  life  lived  and 
the  influence  exerted  in  the  years  that  bridge 
these  dates  will  be  the  theme  of  this  book. 

Heredity  is  of  uncertain  value.  Men  that  have 
honored  themselves  and  their  country  have 
changed  their  names,  because  of  the  stigma  des- 
cending from  unworthy  ancestors.  Others,  whose 
lives  are  insipidly  weak,  show  an  overweening 
pride  in  tracing  their  line  of  descent  back  to  noble 
or  heroic  characters.  Yet  the  man  is  not  living 
who  would  not  rejoice  in  an  honorable  ancestry. 

Oren  Burbank  Cheney  was  born  of  sturdy  New 
England  stock,  in  which  the  religious  element  had 
been  strongly  developed  through  several  genera- 
tions. A  high  type  of  character  distinguished  his 
forebears  on  both  his  father's  and  mother's  side. 

His  father,  Moses  Cheney,  was  stately  and  dig- 
nified in  form,  conscientious  in  every  act  and 
thought,  and  seemed  the  embodiment  of  true  man- 
hood. He  served  God  and  never  forgot  that  man 


LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 


was  his  brother.  He  held  important  offices  in 
church  and  state  and  was  several  times  a  member 
of  the  state  legislature.  He  also  held  the  unpop- 
ular position  of  conductor  on  the  Underground 
Railroad  and  helped  flying  fugitives  on  their  way 
to  liberty.  About  the  time  of  Oren's  birth,  Dea- 
con Cheney,  in  company  with  his  cousin,  went 
into  the  paper  manufacturing  business,  at  Holder- 
ness,  now  Ashland,  New  Hampshire.  For  this  his 
experiences  as  apprentice  and  workman  had 
afforded  a  thorough  preparation.  The  paper-mill 
of  "  Cheney  and  Morse  " — the  name  by  which  the 
firm  was  best  known — was  one  of  the  first  built  in 
New  Hampshire.  Their  paper  was  sold  not  only 
near  home,  but  in  Portland,  Boston  and  New 
York. 

Oren's  mother,  Abigail  (Morrison)  Cheney, 
from  Sanbornton,  New  Hampshire,  was  a  woman 
of  great  energy  and  strength  of  character.  She 
became  the  mother  of  eleven  children,  of  whom 
ten  reached  maturity.  All  of  these  have  honored 
her  by  their  characters  and  lives.  Her  impress 
upon  Oren  was  such  that  everything  connected 
with  her  memory  ever  had  a  sacred  association 
for  him.  Many  a  Bates  student  remembers  that 
President  Cheney,  in  the  midst  of  receptions  at 
his  home,  would  cause  a  hush  in  the  jollity  and, 
lifting  a  worn  leather-covered  bible,  would  say, 
perhaps  with  tears  in  eyes  and  voice :  "  This  was 
my  mother's  bible." 


OREN  B.  CHENEY 


Visitors  at  President  Cheney's  summer  home  at 
Ocean  Park,  will  remember  how,  in  his  later  years, 
he  fondly  called  attention  to  an  old  chair,  saying, 
"  That  was  mother's  chair.  She  used  it  as  long  as 
she  lived." 

In  the  control  of  her  children,  Mrs.  Cheney  was 
not  only  kind,  but  firm.  Of  the  home  life  the 
youngest  daughter  says :  "  Our  family  attachments 
were  very  strong.  There  was  harmony  in  our 
home,  and  to  do  right  was  the  lesson  taught  us." 

It  was  a  very  hospitable  home  into  which  the 
blue-eyed  baby  came.  Frederick  Douglass  made 
it  his  resting  place  when  in  the  vicinity.  Among 
welcome  guests  was  Harriet  Livermore,  a  preacher, 
a  woman  of  marked  and  unusual  characteristics, 
referred  to  by  Whittier  in  the  evening  scene  in 
"Snow-Bound." 

Deacon  Cheney  and  his  wife  were  Free-Will 
Baptists,  and  ministers  and  others  of  that  faith 
always  knew  that  they  would  be  made  welcome  in 
their  home.  Affairs  of  state,  religion  and  reform 
were  freely  discussed  and  Oren  absorbed  an 
interest  in  them  from  babyhood.  In  this  typical 
home  the  boy  developed. 

BOYHOOD    PICTURES 

In  order  to  understand  character,  we  must 
observe  its  traits  in  their  earliest  development. 
One  of  our  first  glimpses  of  the  boy,  Oren,  is  of  a 
little  tot,  running  as  fast  as  his  feet  would  carry 


LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 


him  to  the  mill-pond,  not  far  away.  Mother's 
remonstrances  proving  unavailing,  she  followed 
him  one  day,  unobserved,  and  ducking  him 
suddenly  into  the  water,  gave  an  effectual  check 
to  his  love  of  travel. 

A  little  older,  we  see  him  tenderly  caring  for  his 
sisters,  or  wiping  his  mother's  dishes. 

Next,  a  sturdy  little  youngster  is  picking  up 
chips  for  his  uncle,  at  a  penny  a  basket,  sometimes 
going  home  with  twelve  cents  in  his  jacket  pocket. 

When  Oren  was  eight  years  old,  one  of  the  first 
Sunday  schools  in  that  part  of  New  Hampshire 
was  started  at  Holderness,  by  William  Green, 
cashier  of  the  Plymouth  bank.  Oren's  parents 
were  severely  criticised  for  allowing  him  to  attend 
but  they  were  not  afraid  of  institutions  because 
they  were  new,  but  sought  rather  to  know  if  they 
were  good.  In  seeking  the  influences  that  were 
developing  Oren,  one  should  note  that  his  Sunday 
school  teacher  was  Nathaniel  Peabody  Rogers,  so 
well  known  in  connection  with  the  anti-slavery 
movement.  He  was  an  able  lawyer  and  editor  of 
the  "  Herald  of  Freedom,"  the  brightest  of  the 
anti-slavery  papers.  That  Sunday  school  still  sur- 
vives as  a  flourishing  part  of  the  present  Free 
Baptist  church  at  Ashland. 

One  day,  when  Oren  was  ten  years  old,  while  all 
alone  in  a  retired  place,  stung  by  the  taunts  of 
playmates  that  he  dare  not  swear,  he  said  aloud, 
with  much  emphasis,  "I  will  swear!  Devil!" 


OREX  B.  CHENEY 


Frightened  and  conscience-stricken  by  his  daring 
sin,  he  was  never  tempted  to  profanity  again.  "I 
never  swore  but  once,"  he  would  often  say  with  a 
peculiar  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

At  another  time,  rankling  under  the  sneers  of 
playmates  because  he  had  to  take  care  of  his 
younger  sisters,  he  said  to  his  mother,  "  When  I 
am  twenty-one  I  will  do  as  I  please."  With  flash- 
ing eyes  the  mother  replied  :  "  You  will  mind  me, 
if  you  are  as  tall  as  a  meeting-house."  "And  I 
did,"  was  his  familiar  comment. 

Two  years  later  Oren  had  an  interesting  boyish 
experience  in  going  to  a  General  Training  of  the 
State  Militia.  Before  light  he  tallowed  his  shoes 
and  with  high  anticipations  and  nine-pence  in  his 
pocket  he  saw  the  day  dawn.  But,  alas,  some 
pretty  girls  wore  bright  calico  dresses,  such  as  he 
had  never  seen  before,  and  his  homespun  garments 
abashed  him  !*  He  spent  his  nine-pence  for  honey 
and  gingerbread,  the  greatest  available  luxuries, 
and  ate  enough  of  the  former  to  last  him  a  life- 
time. 

That  he  was  not  yet  ready  to  yield  himself  to 
the  requirements  of  a  Christian  life  is  shown  by  a 
home  incident.  David  Marks,  a  prominent  Free- 
Will  Baptist  Evangelist,  was  visiting  in  the 
Cheney  home  and  was  sitting  one  evening  in  the 
chimney  corner,  reciting  to  his  wife  a  lesson,  for 

•Cotton  mills  were  just  beginning  to  produce  calicoes  and 
other  goods,  which  superseded  the  homespun  materials. 


8  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

her  education  was  much  better  than  his.  When 
the  lesson  was  finished,  while  a  comfortable  glow 
from  the  crackling  fire  pervaded  the  room  and  the 
candles  sputtered  sympathetically,  "  Elder  "  Marks 
talked  to  Oren  about  being  a  Christian.  In  order 
to  make  a  show  of  indifference,  the  boy  cut  a 
notch  in  the  window-sill  with  his  jack-knife,  but 
the  words  cut  a  deeper  notch  in  his  conscience, 
and  made  an  impression  which  was  never  erased, 
although  not  then  heeded. 

Oren  early  began  to  work  in  his  father's  paper 
mill.  The  method  of  manufacturing  paper  has  so 
changed,  that,  in  order  to  understand  this  part  of 
the  boy's  experience,  we  insert  Dr.  Cheney's 
reminiscence,  written  when  he  was  over  eighty 
years  old. 

"  In  those  days  paper  was  made  of  rags, 
not  of  straw  and  wood  as  now.  It  was  made 
by  hand,  sheet  by  sheet.  The  wonderful 
machines  which  now  roll  paper  off  by  hun- 
dreds of  yards  and  cut  it  into  sheets  of  any 
size  needed  were  yet  to  be.  In  the  old  time, 
after  the  rags  were  ground  into  pulp,  the  pulp 
was  dipped  into  a  vat  of  water,  pailful  by 
pailful,  as  needed  to  make  the  mixture  of 
right  condition  for  use.  The  size  of  the  sheet 
to  be  made  was  indicated  by  the  mold.  This 
was  a  kind  of  sieve  to  let  the  water  go 
through  and  leave  the  pulp  in  the  compact 
form  of  the  sheet.  The  vat-man,  after  giving 
the  right  drainage  and  shake,  sent  it  to  the 
couchman  for  being  couched.  This  consisted 


OREN  B.  CHENEY 


in  turning  the  mold  over  upon  the  felt  or 
cloth,  which  was  a  little  larger  than  the  sheet. 

Thus  the  pile  grew,  first  a  felt,  then  a  sheet 
and  so  on  until  all  the  felts  were  used,  over  a 
hundred  in  number  ;  next  the  press  (moved  by 
hand  or  water  power)  was  applied,  by  which 
as  much  water  as  possible  was  pressed  out, 
and  then  came  the  work  of  the  lay-boy,  which 
was  carefully  to  separate  the  sheets  from  the 
felts  and  pass  the  latter  back  to  the  couch- 
man.  The  felts  often  needed  washing.  This 
was  done  in  well-soaped  hot  water  by  the 
couchman  ;  but  they  were  not  fit  for  use  until 
rinsed  in  cold  water,  which  was  done  by  the 
lay-boy,  stooping  on  a  plank  on  his  knees 
over  the  running  water  that  came  from  the 
wheel-pit.  As  lay-boy  I  have  rinsed  felts 
when  icicles  formed  on  my  sleeves. 

I  was  very  young  when  put  into  the  mill 
as  lay-boy  and  filled  the  position  for  several 
years.  Father  furnished  the  paper  on  which 
the  Moniing  Star  and  other  early  Free-Will 
Baptist  publications  were  printed.  It  is  a 
pleasant  remembrance  to  me  that  I  handled 
sheet  by  sheet,  for  several  years,  the  paper  on 
which  all  our  denominational  life  expressed 
itself. 

I  was  not  only  lay-boy  by  day,  but  often 
by  night  I  tended  the  engine,  as  the  machine 
was  called,  in  which  the  rags  were  ground. 
How  life  would  stretch  out  before  me  with 
its  castles,  its  dreams  and  its  plans,  as  I 
spent  those  long  nights  of  boyhood  in  the  old 
mill  alone.  The  fifty  cents  a  night  received 
for  my  labor  seemed  a  large  sum  on  which  to 
build  something  for  the  future.  My  services 


10  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

in  the  daytime  were,   according  to   custom, 
claimed  as  my  father's  right." 

That  Oren  was  a  trustworthy  boy  is  shown  by 
his  being  often  sent  by  his  father  on  important 
business — always  walking — to  the  Plymouth  bank, 
five  miles  away.  He  sometimes  carried  on  these 
errands  several  hundred  dollars  in  his  jacket 
pocket. 


CONDITIONS 

IN 
COUNTRY 

AND 
CHURCH 


II 

When  Oren  was  born,  James  Madison  was  near- 
ing  the  close  of  his  second  term  as  President. 
But  one  year  had  passed  since  the  close  of  the 
war  of  1812-1815.  The  interpretation  of  the  pro- 
visions of  the  National  Constitution  was  still 
uncertain  and  under  discussion.  Business  was 
in  an  unsettled  condition.  Slaveships  were  surrep- 
titiously, although  illegally,  unloading  their  car- 
goes at  southern  ports.  Rum  was  sold  by  grocers 
as  freely  as  molasses.  Steam  was  just  beginning 
to  be  applied  to  navigation  and  land  travel.  Any 
point  beyond  the  New  England  and  the  Atlantic 
states  was  "out  west."  But  little  wheat  was 
raised.  In  Oren's  boyhood,  the  family  occasion- 
ally enjoyed  the  luxury  of  flour  bread  and  dough- 
nuts. Generally  the  food  was  of  corn  meal  or 
rye  and  very  simple. 

CHURCH 

Oren  B.  Cheney  was  never  a  sectarian  in  its 
narrow  sense,  yet  he  was  always  so  true  to  the 
people  of  his  choice,  the  Free-Will — afterward 
Free — Baptists,  that  a  brief  history  of  their  origin 
and  extension  seems  necessary  as  a  setting  to  the 
events  of  his  life. 

In  1770,  as  a  result  of  the  preaching  of  White- 
field,  a  resident  of  New  Castle,  a  small  island  in 
Portsmouth  Harbor,  New  Hampshire,  Benjamin 


14  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Randall,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  became  an 
active  Christian.  After  a  careful  study  of  the 
Bible,  during  several  years,  he  found  that  he 
could  not  agree  fully  with  the  teaching  of  any  of 
the  leading  denominations.  Believing  it  to  be  his 
duty  to  preach,  he  presented  the  truth  as  he  under- 
stood the  bible  to  teach  it,  making  prominent  free 
salvation  for  all  who  believe,  free  Communion  for 
all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  large 
freedom  for  the  individual  conscience. 

The  doctrines  of  John  Calvin  were  the  almost 
constant  theme  of  a  majority  of  the  pulpits  of 
New  England  in  those  days ;  and  the  creeds  had 
so  much  of  the  "  straight-jacket "  character  that 
expression  of  independent  opinions  was  rare. 
When,  therefore,  Randall  began  to  present  the 
truth  as  he  discerned  it,  it  was  in  such  contrast  to 
the  general  belief  of  his  time,  that  he  was  at  once 
denounced  as  a  fanatic  and  heretic.  Persecution 
followed.  Mobs  gathered  around  his  meeting 
places ;  tar  and  feathers  were  prepared  for  him, 
and  he  narrowly  escaped  being  killed  by  brick- 
bats. There  followed  much  searching  of  the 
Scriptures,  to  know  if  he  were  right  or  wrong,  with 
the  result  that  many  accepted  his  teachings. 
They  were  nicknamed  "  Freewillers." 

In  1779,  Randall  was  called  before  a  Baptist 
meeting,  to  answer  for  his  errors,  especially  for 
not  preaching  the  generally  accepted  doctrine  of 
election.  As  the  result  of  this  and  subsequent 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  15 

trials,  fellowship  was  withdrawn  from  him  and 
from  all  who  accepted  his  beliefs.  Then  first  these 
disfellowshipped  Christians  organized  a  church  of 
their  order  at  New  Durham,  New  Hampshire,  with 
Benjamin  Randall  as  pastor ;  and  although  Ran- 
dall never  favored  the  name,  they  finally  permitted 
themselves  to  be  called  Free-Will  Baptists.  A 
simple  covenant  was  adopted  embodying  their 
belief  and  based  on  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 
This  was  in  marked  distinction  from  the  intricate, 
elaborate  creeds  of  the  day.  Thus  the  Free-Will 
Baptist  denomination  had  its  birth. 

For  a  time,  the  preaching  was  mainly  by  men 
of  the  evangelistic  type  and  in  country  places, 
where  independence  of  thought  was  greater  than 
in  the  cities.  The  preachers  were  men  of  conse- 
crated lives,  good  native  ability  and  especially 
gifted  as  leaders  of  the  common  people.  The 
establishment  of  many  country  churches  followed, 
and  from  that  day  to  the  present,  the  principles 
of  this  people,  through  the  removal  of  its  repre- 
sentatives from  their  country  homes,  have  been 
carried  to  city  churches  of  different  denomina- 
tions. How  much  Free-Will  Baptists  have  con- 
tributed towards  a  simpler  faith  and  broader 
Christian  charity  will  never  be  fully  known  until 
the  final  summing  up  of  all  earthly  events. 

From  the  beginning,  their  great  respect  for  per- 
sonal convictions  in  regard  to  belief  and  duty  has 
prevented  distinctions  in  race  or  sex.  Their  early 


16  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

preachers  were  accustomed,  at  the  close  of  their 
sermons  to  request  any  who  felt  "  moved  "  to  do 
so,  to  "add  a  few  words."  Women,  as  well  as 
men  spoke  on  such  occasions,  often  very  impres- 
sively. There  were  a  number  of  women  preachers 
and  evangelists  in  the  denomination  during  its 
first  quarter  century.  That  these  were  not  of  an 
erratic  type  is  shown  by  the  descriptions  given  of 
them. 

Of  Clarissa  H.  Danforth,  who  founded  many 
churches  in  New  England,  it  is  said : 

"She  was  of  a  good  family  and  well  edu- 
cated. She  had  extraordinary  talent  and 
undoubted  piety.  Tall  in  person,  dignified 
in  appearance,  easy  in  manners,  she  had  all 
the  elements  of  a  noble  woman.  As  a 
speaker,  her  language  was  ready  and  simple, 
her  gestures  appropriate.  Her  voice  pene- 
trated to  the  corners  of  the  largest  house. 
She  held  hundreds  with  fixed  attention,  listen- 
ing by  the  hour  to  the  claims  of  her  heavenly 
Master." 

David  Marks,  one  of  the  most  successful  evange- 
lists of  his  day,  gives  much  credit  to  Mrs.  Humes, 
who  assisted  him,  but  says  she  had  much  to  con- 
tend with  because  of  the  popular  prejudice  against 
women  as  preachers. 

When  we  remember  the  belief,  at  this  time,  in 
some  of  the  leading  denominations,  that  it  was 
wrong  for  women  to  speak  even  in  small  social 
meetings  of  the  church,  and  that  half  a  century 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  17 

later,  Rev.  Theodore  Cuyler,  D.D.,  was  arraigned 
before  his  presbytery  for  allowing  Hannah  Smiley 
to  give  bible  readings  in  his  pulpit,  the  mission 
of  Free  Baptists  in  giving  to  women  the  utmost 
freedom  of  their  convictions  will  be  more  highly 
appreciated. 

Without  tracing  further  at  present  the  develop- 
ment of  this  young  denomination,  we  may  note 
that  in  1828,  when  Oren  was  twelve  years  old,  it 
had  been  organized  into  seven  Yearly  Meetings 
in  six  different  states,  with  about  four  hundred 
churches,  most  of  them  in  country  places;  and 
that  it  was  admirably  adapted,  both  in  its  oppor- 
tunities and  needs,  to  aid  in  the  development  of 
Oren's  life  of  usefulness. 

In  1826,  we  see  him,  as  lay-boy,  carefully 
separating  the  sheets  of  paper,  that  are  to  contain 
the  first  imprint  of  The  Morning  Star,  in  that  year 
founded  and  thenceforward  to  be  the  organ  of  the 
Free-Will  Baptists.  As  the  printed  copy  comes 
back,  week  after  week,  we  see  the  boy  eagerly 
listening,  while  one  of  the  "  hands  "  reads  from  its 
pages  to  the  assembled  group.  In  1827,  the  date 
of  the  First  Free-Will  Baptist  General  Conference, 
it  is  significant  to  note  the  interest  with  which 
Oren  listens  to  the  reading  of  the  report  of  the 
doings  of  the  religious  body,  over  which,  many 
years  later,  he  was  repeatedly  to  preside. 


SCHOOL 

RELATION  OF  EARLY  FREE-WILL 
BAPTISTS  TO  EDUCATION 

PARSONSFIELD  SEMINARY 

FIRST  SCHOOL  TEMPERANCE  SOCIETY 

NEW  HAMPTON  LITERARY  INSTITUTION 

RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE 


Ill 

Oren's  early  school  life  consisted  of  a  few  terms 
at  a  little  school  kept  by  his  aunt ;  a  few  at  the 
public  school ;  and  a  short  time  in  Dr.  Dana's 
private  school. 

When  he  was  thirteen  years  old,  in  using  a  corn- 
sheller,  he  cut  off  the  end  of  his  thumb.  Then, 
farewell  future  paper  manufacturer  !  In  the  thrifty- 
Cheney  family,  there  was  no  time  wasted,  so  while 
the  injured  thumb  was  healing,  the  boy  was  sent 
to  New  Hampton  Institute,  five  miles  away.  Of 
that  time  Dr.  Cheney  says,  in  his  reminiscences, 
"  The  night  before  leaving  for  school,  mother 
came  to  my  room  and,  kneeling  beside  my  bed, 
prayed  for  me.  I  well  remember  her  advice,  in 
view  of  the  dangers  of  dawning  manhood.  No 
talisman  could  have  guarded  me  so  securely." 

In  going  temporarily  to  New  Hampton,  Oren 
little  realized  that  he  had  reached  a  turning  point 
in  his  life,  for  as  soon  as  his  thumb  healed,  he 
returned  to  the  mill.  But,  while  at  New  Hamp- 
ton, he  was  under  the  influence  of  Hosea  Quinby, 
a  Free-Will  Baptist,  preparing  for  college,  and  also 
acting  as  assistant  .teacher.  Quinby  was  in- 
terested in  the  promising  lad  and  exerted  a  power- 
ful influence  over  him  not  only  in  school,  but  later 
in  his  home. 


22  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

RELATION    OF    EARLY    FREE-WILL    BAPTISTS    TO 
EDUCATION 

It  is  sometimes  said  that,  at  first,  Free-Will 
Baptists  were  opposed  to  education.  In  order  to 
throw  light  upon  their  position,  let  us  note  that 
in  those  days  a  college  education  was  almost 
entirely  limited  to  young  men  who  were  to  be 
ministers,  lawyers  or  physicians.  Free-Will 
Baptists  in  their  first  third  century  may  be  denom- 
inated "a  voice,"  protesting  against  narrowness 
in  creed,  and  formality  and  lack  of  spiritual  power 
in  the  pulpit.  It  seemed  to  them  that  the  theo- 
logical teaching  in  the  leading  denominational 
schools  was  producing  a  class  of  "man-made" 
ministers,  lacking  in  real  spiritual  force.  The  fear 
of  having  such  a  ministry  led  to  fear  of  the  causes 
which  they  regarded  as  producing  it. 

At  the  same  time,  Randall,  Buzzell  and  other 
denominational  leaders  were  men  of  sound  judg- 
ment and  good  common  sense,  and  hence  ready  to 
be  inspired  and  led  by  an  educated  man  of  tact, 
like  Quinby.  In  fact  this  earnest  pioneer  found 
many  supporters  among  both  clergy  and  laity  in 
his  work  of  establishing  a  Free-Will  Baptist  school. 
During  his  course  at  Waterville,  now  Colby 
College,  Quinby  judiciously  prepared  the  way. 
John  Buzzell  gave  his  hearty  support  and  he  and 
others  raised  the  money  for  a  seminary  building ; 
so  that  after  Quinby's  graduation,  in  the  fall  of 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  23 

1832,  he  opened  a  Free-Will  Baptist  school  at 
Parsonsfield,  Maine,  known  as  Parsonsfield  Semi- 
nary. 

Through  Quinby's  influence,  Oren's  father  was 
induced  to  send  the  boy  there,  and  in  September, 
1832,  we  see  him  riding  on  a  load  of  Morning  Star 
paper,  on  its  way  to  Limerick,  where  the  Star  was 
published.  The  distance  to  Parsonsfield  was  forty 
miles,  and  the  journey  required  three  days. 

Of  his  experience  at  that  time,  Dr.  Cheney  says 
in  his  reminiscences :  "  To  my  boyish  vision  the 
Morning  Star  was  a  bright  luminary.  Now,  I  was 
going  to  see  John  Buzzell,  the  editor.  The  village 
of  North  Parsonsfield  consisted  of  a  single  street, 
a  half-mile  in  length,  lined  with  neat  farmhouses, 
the  seminary  building  at  one  end,  Elder  Buzzell's 
meeting-house  at  the  other,  and  about  half  way 
between,  a  store,  where  dry  goods,  groceries  and 
books  were  sold. 

"The  meeting-house  was  of  typical  New  Eng- 
land construction,  with  high  pulpit  and  sounding- 
board,  square,  high-backed  pews,  gallery  all  around 
and  '  singing  seats  '  in  the  gallery  facing  the  pulpit. 
Dear  old  house  !  Many  good  men  preached  a  free 
gospel  in  it.  A  mob  once  surrounded  it,  be- 
cause there  were  in  it  men  and  women  consult- 
ing about  giving  freedom  to  the  slaves.  John 
Buzzell  was  an  off-hand,  earnest,  ready  speaker. 
His  theme  was  generally  free  salvation  as  opposed 
to  Calvinism.  He  was  a  good  singer.  There  were 


24  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

sermons  in  his  songs.  His  hymn-book  was  among 
the  earliest  Free-Will  Baptist  publications." 

The  Parsonsfield  school  opened  with  a  good 
attendance  in  a  neighboring  school-house,  as  the 
Seminary  building  was  not  quite  completed. 

Three  or  four  incidents,  connected  with  the 
year  spent  here,  throw  light  upon  Oren's  develop- 
ing character.  One  day  his  cousin  Elizabeth 
expressed  to  him  chagrin  because  other  students 
had  good  meeting-houses  in  which  to  worship, 
while  at  their  home  in  Holderness,  they  wor- 
shiped in  an  old  school  house.  Oren  replied  with 
much  emphasis,  "  When  we  go  home  we  will  have 
as  good  a  one  as  anybody."  He  kept  his  word 
and  soon  after  their  return,  there  was  built  on  his 
father's  farm,  over  a  boulder  on  which  he  had 
often  played,  the  church  that  has  been  in  use  ever 
since. 

Oren  began  his  temperance  record  even  when  a 
boy  in  school,  and  to  explain  this,  we  must  go 
back  a  little.  In  1830,  the  first  temperance 
lecturer  visited  Holderness  and  gave  an  address 
to  a  large  audience.  When,  at  its  close  he  asked 
for  signers  to  the  pledge,  Oren's  mother  and  a 
foolish  lad  were  the  only  ones  who  arose.  This 
made  Mrs.  Cheney  a  butt  for  ridicule  through  the 
village,  but  little  she  cared.  She  saw  a  truth. 
That  was  enough.  Her  home  was  at  once  cleared 
of  all  that  could  intoxicate.  No  ministers  were 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  25 

afterwards  treated  to  liquors  at  Deacon  Cheney's 
sideboard. 

One  day,  when  Oren  was  at  the  grocery,  a 
prominent  church  member  ostentatiously  went  to 
a  barrel,  drew  a  glass  of  rum,  sweetened  and 
stirred  it  vigorously,  then,  as  he  drank  it,  told  the 
boy  to  go  home  and  tell  his  mother  that  — 
drank  a  glass  of  rum. 

Oren  protested  to  his  mother  against  going  to 
meeting  with  such  a  man,  but  she  replied  gently, 
"  Oh,  my  boy,  he  is  a  good  man,  but  he  looks  at 
things  in  a  different  light  from  what  we  do." 

Mrs.  Cheney  was  a  crusader  thirty  or  more 
years  before  the  Woman's  Temperance  Crusade 
started.  Knowing  that  a  temperance  measure 
was  to  be  acted  upon  at  a  town  meeting,  Mrs. 
Cheney  and  some  other  women  went  with  their 
knitting  work  to  the  town  hall  and,  uninvited,  sat 
there  knitting,  knitting  while  the  measure  was  dis- 
cussed. 

The  men  voted  by  ranging  themselves  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  room.  One  man  started  to 
go  to  the  side  representing  the  liquor  interest,  but 
seeing  the  eyes  of  the  women  upon  him,  he  hastily 
retreated  to  the  other  side.  The  side  of  temper- 
ance prevailed  and  the  women  went  home  happy. 

These  early  influences  help  us  to  see  why,  at 
Parsonsfield,  Oren  was  a  leader  in  starting  a 
school  temperance  society.  He  was  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  constitution.  Another  member 


26  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

said  to  him,  "  We  must  have  some  big  words  in 
it."  "What  would  you  suggest?"  was  Oren's 
query.  "  Well,  '  tantamount '  would  be  good,"  was 
the  wise  reply.  Although  the  big  word  did  not 
get  into  the  constitution,  the  society  flourished 
and  is  believed  to  be  the  first  school  temperance 
society  in  the  country  that  prohibited  in  its 
pledge  fermented  as  well  as  distilled  liquors. 

Oren  belonged  to  a  family  of  good  singers  and 
from  a  child  had  an  excellent  voice.  At  Parsons- 
field  he  felt  himself  suddenly  some  inches  taller 
when  invited  to  the  "singing  seats." 

He  always  remembered  with  amusement  one 
Sunday's  experience.  In  the  gallery,  at  his  right 
sat  a  boy  with  uncommonly  red  hair.  Just  behind 
him  a  sober  looking  lad  attracted  much  attention, 
at  an  important  stage  of  the  sermon,  by  holding 
his  outstretched  palms  near  the  fiery  hair,  then 
rubbing  them  together  as  in  process  of  warming 
them.  The  preacher  must  have  wondered  what 
there  was  in  his  sermon  that  could  excite  so  many 
smiles  in  the  "choir  loft."  As  fires  were  not  used 
in  meeting-houses  in  those  days,  except  in  foot- 
stoves  for  women,  there  was  a  quaint  appropriate- 
ness in  the  boy's  act. 

About  this  time,  the  young  Free- Will  Baptist 
denomination  began  to  awaken  to  the  duty  of 
foreign  missionary  work.  In  1832,  Buzz  ell, 
Quinby  and  others  interested  held  a  meeting  in 
the  Buzzell  meeting-house  to  inaugurate  the  work. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  27 

Oren  heard  of  it  and  went,  an  interested  listener 
to  the  plans  which  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the 
society  of  which  later  he  was  for  many  years 
Recording  Secretary  and  afterward  President. 

The  year  spent  at  Parsonsfield  was  in  many 
ways  a  fruitful  one  in  Oren's  development.  He 
had  in  Hosea  Quinby  not  only  an  excellent 
teacher,  but  an  inspiration  to  the  best  manhood. 
In  being  under  the  ministry  of  John  Buzzell, 
Benjamin  Randall's  successor,  he  came  in  close 
relation  to  the  beginnings  of  the  denomination  to 
whose  development  he  afterward  contributed  so 
much.  But  it  was  inconvenient  to  be  so  far  from 
home,  and  the  next  year  he  entered  New  Hampton 
Literary  Institution,  at  New  Hampton,  New 
Hampshire,  which  at  that  time  was  a  Baptist 
school,  and  there  finished  his  preparation  for 
college. 

Previous  impressions  as  to  duty  had  been 
maturing  and  while  at  New  Hampton,  fully  decid- 
ing to  give  himself  to  the  service  of  God  and  his 
fellow-men,  Oren  kneeled  in  a  retired  pasture,  and 
with  sincere  prayer  and  pledge,  consecrated  his 
life  to  Christian  service.  To  the  vows  then  made 
he  was  ever  true. 


THE  YOUNG  TEACHER 

COLLEGE  LIFE 

BAPTISM 

OPPOSITION  TO  RELIGIOUS  SERVICE  IN 
SCHOOL  HOUSE 

WORK  FOR  THE  INDIANS 
SUNDAY  SERVICES 

"MALE  AND    FEMALE   CREATED    HE 
THEM  " 


IV 

During  his  New  Hampton  course,  in  1834,  he 
taught  one  term  of  the  Holderness  village  school. 
An  incident  which  occurred  here  showed  that 
Oren  already  possessed  the  elements  of  a  firm, 
brave  teacher.  One  day  a  drunken  father  entered 
the  school-room,  flourishing  an  ox  goad,  and 
accusing  the  youthful  teacher  of  punishing  his 
boy,  thus  throwing  the  school  into  a  panic. 
Nothing  daunted,  Oren  took  a  ruler  over  his 
shoulder  and  marching  up  to  the  man,  eyed  him 
keenly  and  soon  quieted  him.  The  frightened 
children  then  returned  to  their  seats. 

At  New  Hampton,  Oren  did  good  work  and 
when  he  graduated  was  well  fitted  for  college. 
Through  influences  exerted  while  there,  Oren  was 
led  in  the  fall  of  1835,  to  enter  Brown  University, 
President  Wayland's  reputation  being  an  especial 
inducement. 

In  going  to  Brown  he  took  his  first  car  rides, 
from  Lowell  to  Boston,  then  from  Boston  to 
Providence,  thus  traveling  over  two  of  the  three 
railroads  in  the  country.  To  the  eager  hearted 
lad  it  seemed  the  greatest  event  in  his  life. 

The  term  spent  at  Brown  was  full  of  oppor- 
tunities for  development,  not  only  in  college  life, 
but  in  city  and  state.  With  his  love  of  seeing 
noted  places  it  did  not  take  Oren  long  to  find  the 


32  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

various  points  of  historic  interest,  prominent 
among  them  being  the  landing  place  of  Roger 
Williams  and  his  associates. 

This  was  the  year  when  Garrison  was  mobbed 
in  Boston  and  the  mob-spirit  entered  Rhode 
Island.  Hearing  that  a  meeting  of  anti-slavery 
women  was  to  be  broken  up,  Oren  was  on  hand  to 
observe  the  exciting  scenes.  But  the  spirit  of 
Roger  Williams  was  there  also.  The  mayor  dis- 
persed the  crowd.  Rhode  Island's  reputation  for 
religious  liberty  was  maintained.  But  the  indig- 
nation that  thrilled  young  Cheney  as  he  noted 
the  spirit  of  the  mob  made  him  an  out-and-out 
abolitionist,  and  from  that  time  he  lost  no  oppor- 
tunity to  do  all  he  could  by  voice  and  pen  for  the 
emancipation  of  the  slaves. 

Hearing  that  at  Dartmouth  College  anti- 
slavery  sentiments  were  allowed  more  freedom  of 
expression  than  at  Brown,  influenced  also  by 
family  and  financial  considerations,  with  a  letter 
of  recommendation  from  President  Wayland,  our 
young  student  after  one  term  at  Brown,  returned 
to  his  parents'  new  home  at  Peterboro,  New  Hamp- 
shire, and,  in  the  following  spring  enrolled  him- 
self as  a  student  at  Dartmouth  College. 

He  soon  after  accepted  an  invitation  to  teach 
the  winter  school  at  Canaan.  At  just  that  time 
this  village  was  the  center  of  anti-slavery  interest, 
for  near  the  district  school  house  there  had  stood, 
a  few  weeks  before,  a  fine  Academy ;  but  news 


O.  B.  Cheney 

About  1845 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  33 

having  spread  that  "  niggers  "  were  attending  this 
Academy,  some  of  the  townspeople,  at  night,  with 
their  oxen  drew  the  building  a  mile  away  and  left 
it  in  a  swamp. 

As  a  curiosity  in  literature  and  an  illustration 
of  the  spirit  of  the  times,  we  append  the  following 
extract  from  a  speech  delivered  to  a  crowd  that 
gathered  in  a  Canaan  church  at  the  conclusion  of 
this  notorious  act : 

"The  work  is  done,  the  object  obtained. 
The  contest  has  been  severe  but  the  victory 
glorious.  No  sable  son  of  Africa  remains  to 
darken  our  horizen.  The  abolition  monster 
who  ascended  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  is 
sent  headlong  to  perdition,  and  the  mourners 
go  about  the  streets.  You,  gentlemen,  who 
have  assisted  us  in  obtaining  this  glorious 
victory,  in  behalf  of  the  inhabitants  of  this 
town,  I  present  to  you  my  sincere  and  hearty 
thanks  for  your  prompt  attention  and  unex- 
ampled exertions  in  repelling  an  enemy  far 
more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  pestilence  that 
walketh  in  darkness  and  the  destruction  that 
wasteth  at  noonday.  May  the  sun  of  liberty 
continue  to  shine  on  you  with  increased 
splendor  and  never  be  obstructed  by  the 
sable  clouds  of  Africa ;  and  should  it  be  your 
misfortune  to  be  again  invaded  by  a  similar 
foe,  we  pledge  ourselves  to  unite  our  exertions 
with  yours  in  putting  down  by  all  lawful 
means  every  plot  that  threatens  the  subver- 
sions of  our  liberties,  or  disturbs  the  public 
tranquility. 


34  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"  May  that  Being  that  presides  over  the 
destinies  of  Nations  reward  you  a  hundred 
fold  in  this  life,  and  in  the  life  to  come  life 
everlasting." 

Dr.  Cheney  tells  this  story  of  his  experience  in 
going  there : 

"  A  young  Baptist  minister  took  me  by 
horse  and  sleigh  to  Canaan  on  Saturday.  We 
arrived  at  the  house  of  the  agent  of  the  school 
•early  in  the  evening.  As  we  sat  at  the  tea- 
table,  and  afterwards  before  the  fire,  the  whole 
story  was  told  by  the  agent  of  the  bringing 
of  '  niggers '  into  town  and  of  the  driving 
them  out,  with  the  words  added  in  strong 
emphasis,  '  We  will  not  have  an  abolitionist 
teach  our  school.' 

"  As  my  friend  left  me  that  evening,  I  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  door  and  said,  '  What  shall 
I  do  ?  I  am  an  abolitionist.  I  cannot  teach 
the  school  here.'  'O,'  said  he,  'say  nothing 
about  it.  It  will  never  be  known  what  you 
are.' 

"Taking  his  advice  I  began  the  school. 
Everything  went  on  in  silence  and  pleasantly 
for  about  three  weeks.  But  the  silence  was 
on  my  part.  The  town  was  discussing  the 
question,  '  On  which  side  is  the  master  ? ' 
I  saw  the  mistake  I  had  made  in  listening 
to  the  advice  given  me.  I  could  not  endure 
such  a  non-committal  life,  and  in  a  quiet 
way  I  let  my  anti-slavery  principles  be  known. 
The  whole  town  was  thrown  into  excitement 
as  the  news  spread.  The  joy  of  the  abo- 
litionists, few  in  number,  can  hardly  be  told. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  35 

The  opposition  let  me  alone,  and  I  finished 
the  school  term. 

"  It  may  be  well  to  add  that  among  the 
colored  students  driven  out  of  town  by  the 
removal  of  the  academy,  was  one  who  became 
a  lecturer  in  the  anti-slavery  field,  and  a 
pastor  in  a  colored  church  in  Washington, 
D.C" 

In  the  spring  of  1836  Oren  entered  Dartmouth 
College.  There  was  much  in  the  spirit  of  this 
school,  founded  as  a  missionary  enterprise  for  the 
education  of  the  Indians,  that  strongly  appealed 
to  the  youth.  In  a  little  enclosure  on  the  campus 
is  the  grave  of  Eleazer  Wheelock,  the  founder  of 
Dartmouth  College.  The  place  had  a  strange 
fascination  for  the  new  student,  and  as  he  often 
meditated  by  it,  undefined  possibilities  in  his  own 
future  took  intangible  form. 

But  his  life  was  far  from  gloomy.  Professor 
John  Fullonton,  who  entered  college  the  next 
autumn,  told  his  daughter,  Ida,  in  later  years,  that 
when  he  crossed  the  campus  for  the  first  time,  he 
heard  voices  ringing  out  harmoniously  across  the 
yard.  Looking  up,  he  saw  several  young  men 
sitting  in  the  window  and  singing  the  church 
hymns  then  in  vogue,  and  one  of  them,  as  he 
learned  later  was  O.  B.  Cheney.  "That  window," 
said  Dr.  Fullonton  impressively,  "  faced  the  east 
and  Oren  Cheney  has  faced  the  rising  sun  ever 
since."  On  entering  college,  he  was  at  once 
invited  to  sit  in  the  "singing  seats." 


36  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

The  habits  of  economy,  with  which  he  had  been 
reared,  governed  Cheney's  life  while  in  college. 
He  and  his  classmate,  G.  G.  Fogg,  experimented 
at  boarding  themselves.  Evidently,  neither  was 
an  adept  at  cooking.  They  lived  on  a  concoction 
of  Indian  meal,  cold  water,  salt  and  saleratus — 
calling  it  a  johnnycake — with  the  result  that  Oren 
fell  sick  and  never  afterward  could  bear  the  taste 
or  even  the  smell  of  saleratus. 

The  young  reformer  was  now  in  a  sympathetic 
anti-slavery  atmosphere.  At  one  time  he  went 
with  a  company  of  students  to  a  town  near  by,  to 
hold  an  anti-slavery  meeting  in  a  beautiful  grove, 
where  a  large  audience  had  gathered.  Dr. 
Cheney's  reminiscences  describe  the  events  thus  : 

"  Early  in  the  meeting  the  place  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  crowd  of  men  and  boys  with 
drums  and  horns  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
disturbance.  But  we  made  the  grove  ring 
with  anti-slavery  songs,  the  speakers  kept 
right  on  and  the  meeting  proved  a  great 
success.  We  returned  to  college  with  flying 
colors,  feeling  quite  as  happy  as  any  of  the 
baseball  or  elocutionary  victors  of  today. 

"  Boys  of  twenty-one  years  of  age  living  in 
Hanover  were  then  allowed  to  vote,  and  when 
it  was  found  that  our  votes  were  cast  in  the 
interest  of  anti-slavery,  the  legislature  de- 
cided that  if  we  voted  we  must  perform  mili- 
tary duty.  'All  right,'  was  our  reply,  and 
forthwith  a  company  was  organized  with  a 
senior  for  captain  and  other  officers  from  the 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  37 

other  classes.  We  secured  a  competent  drill 
master  and  prepared  for  the  next  general 
training  at  Lebanon,  which  occurred  on  a 
beautiful  day. 

"With  officers  in  fine  uniforms,  the  rank  and 
file  in  black  coats  and  white  pants,  armed 
with  bright  new  muskets,  we  marched  beneath 
the  folds  of  a  beautiful  new  flag  that  had 
been  presented  to  us,  to  the  music  of  a  first- 
class  band,  secured  from  a  distance  at  much 
trouble  and  expense.  Some  of  the  other  com- 
panies were  not  in  uniform  and  had  only 
drum  and  fife  accompaniment,  and  we  com- 
pletely captivated  the  admiring  crowds  that 
thronged  our  line  of  march.  The  waving  of 
handkerchiefs  by  women,  young  and  old,  and 
the  cheers  of  the  crowd  showed  how  great 
was  the  victory  we  had  won  over  the  pro- 
slavery  spirit  that  had  thought  to  crush  us. 
I  was  told  that  the  accident  to  my  left  hand 
would  exempt  me  from  military  duty,  but  I 
wanted  to  enjoy  the  fun  and  so  I  was  in  it 
with  the  other  boys." 

BAPTISM 

Oren's  religious  life  had  been  steadily  devel- 
oping after  entering  Dartmouth ;  and  feeling 
impressed  that  he  ought  to  be  baptized,  in  May, 
1836,  he  walked  to  his  old  home  in  Ashland,  forty 
miles  away — to  ride  would  cost  too  much — was 
baptized  by  Rev.  Simeon  Dana,  and  united  with 
the  Free-Will  Baptist  church  then  worshiping 
in  the  house  that  he  had  helped  to  build.  During 


38  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

the  return  tramp,  his  thoughts  were  occupied  with 
high  purposes  and  noble  resolves. 

The  following  winter  he  again  augmented  his 
finances  by  teaching  school  at  Peterboro.  Hav- 
ing an  earnest  desire  to  benefit  his  students  in 
every  way  possible,  he  held  a  series  of  prayer- 
meetings  at  the  close  of  the  school  exercises, 
inviting  all  who  would  to  remain.  This  did  not 
please  a  prominent  business  man  in  the  place,  who 
requested  the  teacher  to  desist.  It  would  not 
have  been  Oren  Cheney,  had  he  yielded. 

His  opponent  then  called  a  district  meeting. 
He  had  a  large  number  of  men  in  his  employ  and 
the  school-house  was  crowded.  The  whole  town 
was  stirred.  After  a  long  discussion,  a  resolution 
was  passed  by  one  majority,  in  opposition  to  the 
teacher's  course.  Amid  a  deathlike  silence,  the 
stripling  of  twenty  years  calmly  arose  and  quietly 
informed  the  audience  that  he  held  his  position 
by  vote  of  the  school  committee  and  should  leave 
only  at  their  request — that  he  had  conscientious 
convictions  about  the  matter  and  could  not  dis- 
continue the  service. 

The  school  committee  voted  unanimously  to 
sustain  him,  one  of  them,  not  a  church  member, 
saying  that  such  a  service  was  what  every  district 
needed.  Young  Cheney  was  called  back  to  the 
same  district  the  next  winter,  and  to  another 
school  in  the  same  town  the  year  following. 
Seven  years  later  this  opponent  of  the  student 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  89 

teacher  came  near  being  defeated  as  candidate 
for  governor  of  New  Hampshire,  by  the  use  against 
him  of  these  circumstances  of  which  others  had 
learned  and  had  published  in  a  campaign  docu- 
ment. 

WORK    FOR   THE    INDIANS SUNDAY    SERVICES 

Although,  in  the  seventy-five  years  that  had 
passed  since  the  founding  of  Dartmouth  College, 
the  Indians  had  been  pressed  back  by  the 
advance  of  civilization,  a  company  of  them,  men, 
women  and  children,  used  annually  to  encamp  for 
several  months  in  the  Vale  of  Tempe,  a  short  dis- 
tance away.  They  were  treated  with  the  greatest 
kindness  by  the  college  authorities  and  students, 
no  pains  being  spared  to  educate  them.  During 
a  part  of  his  college  course,  Oren  went  daily  with 
a  classmate  to  the  camp-ground  and  taught  the 
Indian  boys  and  girls,  neither  expecting  nor 
receiving  any  remuneration  for  the  service.  The 
fact  that  this  classmate,  a  Southern  young  man, 
was  paying  his  college  expenses  from  the  proceeds 
of  the  sale  of  a  slave  girl,  furnishes  an  interesting 
comment  on  human  consistency. 

Later  in  his  college  course  Oren  found  a  small 
Free-Will  Baptist  interest  at  Grantham,  ten  miles 
away.  Here  he  rendered  services  for  many 
months,  generally  walking  the  twenty  miles; 
going  Saturday  and  leading  a  prayer  meeting  in 
the  evening,  on  Sunday  giving  talks  to  a  people 


40  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

not  able  to  employ  a  regular  pastor ;  conducting  a 
Sunday  school  and  teaching  a  singing  school — 
all  this  without  any  remuneration.  His  oppor- 
tunity to  render  needed  service  was  his  ample 
reward,  while  to  his  last  hours  he  was  cheered  by 
the  loving  regard  of  those  whom  he  then  served. 

Among  the  pleasant  homes  where  he  was 
welcomed  during  his  college  life  was  that  of  the 
Bridgman  family  and  he  became  deeply  interested 
in  the  eight-year-old  Laura,  the  blind,  deaf  and 
dumb  child  afterward  so  noted. 

Throughout  his  college  course  Oren  Cheney  did 
good,  faithful  work  in  his  classes.  He  always  had 
a  kindly  remembrance  of  President  Lord's  interest 
in  him.  His  class,  which  numbered  about  seventy 
on  entering,  graduated  with  sixty-one  members. 
Oren  outlived  all  but  four. 

Our  readers  will  probably  agree  that  few  young 
men  graduate  from  college  with  a  better  all- 
around  equipment  for  service  than  Oren  B. 
Cheney  possessed,  when,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three,  with  diploma  in  hand,  he  turned  his  back 
on  college  halls  and  faced  life. 

"  MALE  AND  FEMALE  CREATED  HE  THEM  " 

Mr.  Cheney's  affections  had  already  been  en- 
listed in  an  evident  case  of  love  at  first  sight. 
In  his  reminiscences  he  tells  the  story  thus : 

"While  in  college,  Burbank  and  I  made  a 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  41 

visit  to  Parsonsfield  Seminary  as  alumni, 
having  the  honor  of  being  students  the  first 
term  of  the  institution.  Receiving  an  invi- 
tation from  Miss  Woodman,  the  lady  princi- 
pal, to  visit  her  classes,  we  accepted.  As  we 
entered  the  classroom,  a  young  woman,  whom 
I  had  never  seen  and  of  whom  I  had  never 
heard,  was  at  the  blackboard  to  demonstrate 
the  forty-seventh  proposition  in  "  Playfair's 
Euclid,"  that  in  any  right-angled  triangle  the 
square  which  is  described  upon  the  sides  sub- 
tending the  right  angle  is  equal  to  the  squares 
described  upon  the  sides  which  contain  the 
right  angle. 

"  I  heard  her  through,  asking  her  a  few 
questions,  as  visitors  to  schools  are  accus- 
tomed to  do. 

"'  Quod  erat  demonstrandum,'  she  said,  on 
taking  her  seat.  'Yes,'  to  myself  I  said,  'but 
something  else  remains  to  be  demonstrated  !' 
Her  name  was  Caroline  Adelia  Rundlett, 
daughter  of  Capt.  James  Rundlett  of  Strat- 
ham,  New  Hampshire." 

Acquaintance  showed  him  that  he  was  right  in 
his  first  impression  that  Miss  Rundlett  was  a  very 
interesting  and  intellectually  superior  young 
woman.  Mutual  and  abiding  affection  resulted. 


TEACHER 
MARRIAGE 

PARSONSFIELD  — TEACHER  — PREACHER 

FIRST  SERMON 

WHITESTOWN 

THEOLOGICAL  STUDENT— TEACHER 
DEATH  OF  MRS.  CHENEY 


In  the  fall  of  1839,  Mr.  Cheney  became  Princi- 
pal of  the  Farmington  (Maine)  Academy,  with 
Miss  Rundlett  as  Preceptress.  They  were  married 
January  first,  1840,  at  the  bride's  home  in  Strat- 
ham,  New  Hampshire. 

There  were  five  terms  of  successful  teaching  at 
Farmington,  during  which  time  the  couple 
boarded  at  the  home  of  Rev.  John  Chancy,  pastor 
of  the  church.  While  here  Mrs.  Cheney  started  a 
school  paper,  containing  so  much  of  general 
interest  that  after  a  while  it  was  printed  and  sub- 
sequently became  The  Farmington  Chronicle. 

Soon  after  going  to  Farmington,  Mr.  Cheney 
learned  that  a  short  time  before,  in  the  very  room 
used  by  his  wife  and  himself,  a  private  meeting 
had  been  held  to  prepare  the  way  for  a  Free-Will 
Baptist  Education  Society.  Thenceforward  the 
place  was  sacred  to  him,  for  he  clearly  foresaw  the 
far-reaching  effects  of  that  meeting.  The  first 
result  was  the  call  for  a  convention,  to  be  held  in 
Acton,  Maine,  January  15,  1840.  Forty-six 
influential  names  were  signed  to  this  call. 
Seventy-six  men  attended.  Dr.  Cheney  wrote  of 
it  in  1896: 

"  How  well  I  remember  the  journey  to 
Acton.  There  was  not  then  a  railroad  in 
Maine.  Elder  Chancy  and  I  went  by  horse 


46  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

and  sleigh.  We  started  on  a  cold  Monday 
morning.  The  first  day's  journey  was  to 
Gray,  the  second  to  Springvale.  Wednesday 
morning  we  reached  Acton  in  time  for  the 
Convention,  having  stopped  for  entertain- 
ment at  houses  of  the  brethren  by  the  way, 
as  was  the  custom  of  those  days. 

"The  convention  discussed  and  adopted 
seventeen  resolutions.  The  discussion  was 
lively  and  the  opposition  to  some  of  them 
strong,  but  the  support  was  earnest.  They 
show  plainly  the  struggle  in  the  minds  of  men 
in  holding  to  the  old,  while  reaching  forward 
to  the  new.  Laymen  as  well  as  clergymen 
were  well  represented  in  the  convention,  the 
President  being  Hon.  J.  M.  Harper,  member 
of  Congress." 

The  first  result  of  the  organization  of  the  Edu- 
cation Society  was  a  library  and  course  of  theo- 
logical study  in  connection  with  Parsonsfield 
Seminary.  In  1841,  Mr.  Cheney  became  Princi- 
pal of  the  Academy  at  Strafford,  New  Hampshire. 
Failing  to  receive  promised  remuneration,  he 
accepted  a  position  in  Greenland,  New  Hamp- 
shire. Here  for  the  first  time  the  young  couple 
kept  house.  Here,  too,  a  little  son  died  soon 
after  birth. 

HIS    FIRST    SERMON 

While  in  Greenland,  Mr.  Cheney  walked  several 
miles  on  the  Sabbath  to  Northampton,  where  Free- 
Will  Baptists  had  started  a  small  interest.  On 
one  Sunday,  the  minister  failing  to  appear,  Mr. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  47 

Cheney  was  prevailed  upon  to  preach.  He  spoke 
from  the  text:  "All  things  are  now  ready."  By 
invitation,  he  preached  again  the  next  Sunday. 
Then,  feeling  quite  dissatisfied  with  his  efforts,  he 
resolved  never  to  preach  again.  But  one  of  the 
brethren  prophesied  such  dire  future  punishment 
for  him  if  he  did  not,  that  he  was  led  to  recon- 
sider, and  soon  after,  accepting  the  counsel  of 
ministers  in  that  vicinity,  he  was  licensed  to 
preach. 

The  same  year,  Mr.  Cheney  began  to  contribute 
to  the  Morning  Star  the  articles  which  continued 
to  appear  with  more  or  less  regularity  for  sixty 
years.* 

In  1843,  Mr.  Cheney  was  called  to  be  Principal 
of  Parsonsfield  Seminary,  where  eleven  years 
before  he  had  entered  as  a  pupil. 

The  Morning  Star  of  June  7,  1843,  speaks  of 
him  in  the  highest  terms  as  instructor  and  licen- 
tiate, for  he  was  not  only  expected  to  teach,  but 
also  to  preach  at  Parsonsfield.  He  also  supplied 
the  pulpit  twice  a  month  at  Effingham  Hill, 
near  by. 

In  this  locality  his  anti-slavery  sentiments 
found  many  opposers,  it  being  denied  that  his 

•At  a  session  of  the  Free- Will  Baptist  General  Confer- 
ence, held  at  Topsham,  Maine,  in  1841,  a  union  was  effected 
with  the  Free  or  Free  Communion  Baptists  in  New  York, 
with  the  understanding  that  their  denominational  names 
might  be  used  interchangeably,  and  the  "  Will "  having 
been  used  less  and  less  since  then,  we  shall  drop  it  in  this 
biography. 


48  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

statements  of  cruelty  to  the  slaves  were  founded 
in  fact.  A  branch  of  the  underground  railroad 
ran  through  Parsonsfield  and  thence  to  the 
Canadian  border.  One  day  the  station  keeper  in 
Effingham  brought  to  Mr.  Cheney's  home  in  Par- 
sonsfield a  woman  and  two  children,  fugitives  from 
slavery.  He  sheltered  and  fed  them,  then  arranged 
for  them  to  meet  parents  as  well  as  children  at  his 
school.  Here  the  mother  showed  the  branded 
marks  on  her  children's  shoulders  and  other  indi- 
cations of  cruelty.  They  were  sweet  singers  and 
as  they  sang  their  weird  songs  with  much  pathos 
in  word  and  tone,  all  were  moved  to  tears  and  the 
sentiment  of  the  community  was  so  changed  that 
Mr.  Cheney  afterward  found  few  objectors  to  his 
anti-slavery  utterances. 

Mr.  Cheney  had  now  begun  to  feel  that  the 
ministry  was  to  be  his  life-work.  This  led  to  his 
ordination  in  1844,  the  sermon  being  preached  by 
Elder  John  Buzzell,  with  Benjamin  J.  Manson  and 
others  participating  in  the  exercises.  For  his 
preaching  at  Effingham,  he  received  two  dollars  a 
Sunday.  After  a  time  one  of  the  members  asked 
him  not  to  mention  the  subjects  of  temperance 
and  slavery  in  the  pulpit.  With  all  his  manhood 
flashing  from  his  eyes,  Mr.  Cheney  replied,  "  A 
pile  of  gold  as  high  as  a  mountain  would  not 
tempt  me  to  stop  speaking  upon  those  questions." 
He  was  at  this  time  much  in  demand  as  a  lecturer 
upon  these  themes. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  49 

For  some  time  the  conviction  had  been  growing 
that,  if  he  were  to  be  a  minister,  he  should  further 
fit  himself  for  the  sacred  office.  The  theological 
course  and  library,  previously  referred  to,  had, 
after  various  vicissitudes,  been  removed  to  Whites- 
town  Seminary,  in  New  York.  To  this  place  Mr. 
Cheney  removed  in  1845 — with  his  wife  and  one- 
year  old  son,  Horace  Rundlett — with  the  purpose 
of  taking  a  theological  course,  and  meanwhile 
supporting  his  family  by  teaching  Latin  in  the 
Seminary.  Though  his  course  of  study  was  cut 
short,  the  influence  for  good  which  he  exerted 
while  there  remained,  as  attested  by  the  following 
reminiscence  by  a  life-long  friend,  Rev.  G.  H. 
Ball,  D.D. : 

"  I  was  not  connected  with  the  Seminary 
department,  but  recollect  that  Prof.  Cheney 
was  spoken  of  as  an  excellent  teacher.  We 
were  in  the  same  class  in  the  Divinity  School 
with  Dr.  John  Fullonton  and  Dr.  George  T. 
Day.  It  was  a  large  class,  and  of  course,  the 
fact  that  Day,  Fullonton  and  Cheney  were  in 
it  signifies  that  it  was  interesting,  vigorous 
and  aggressive.  Brother  Cheney  was  admired 
and  loved  by  every  member  of  the  class  as  a 
scholarly,  bright  and  courteous  gentleman. 
Personally  he  was  handsome,  neat  in  his 
attire  and  habits,  gentle  in  his  manners  and 
generous,  as  well  as  courteous. 

"  He  always  took  a  bright  and  cheerful 
view  of  every  subject  discussed  in  class,  in 
the  literary  society  and  in  general  intercourse. 


50  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

His  social  influence  among  the  students  was 
refining,  and,  without  the  least  obtrusiveness, 
improved  the  habits  of  the  young  men  who 
had  grown  up  with  rude  surroundings,  and, 
on  coming  to  the  school,  were  really  in  need 
of  the  helpful  influence  he  so  quietly  exerted. 
He  was  popular  with  all  the  students  and 
looked  up  to  as  a  model  for  imitation.  He 
appeared  to  me  at  that  period  in  his  life  as 
nearly  perfect  in  gentility  of  manner,  in 
purity  and  dignity  of  thought,  in  courtesy 
and  kindness  in  intercourse,  in  unselfish 
devotion  to  his  chosen  purpose  in  life,  in 
sincerity  and  strength  of  interest  in  the  most 
advanced  undertakings  of  the  denomination, 
in  generous  appreciation  of  his  associates  and 
in  reverent  respect  for  older  men,  who  were 
then  active  among  our  ministers." 

But  life  plans  "gang  aft  agley."  After  a  few 
months,  his  wife's  health  failed  so  rapidly  that  he 
was  obliged  to  carry  her  back  to  her  father's  home 
in  Stratham,  New  Hampshire.  His  sister  Sarah, 
who  was  then  preceptress  at  Whitestown  Semi- 
nary, accompanied  him,  caring  for  little  Horace. 
After  some  anxious  weeks,  on  January  13,  1846, 
Mrs.  Caroline  R.  Cheney  peacefully  passed  on  to 
the  other  life.  The  parting  from  this  capable, 
talented  companion  was  a  severe  blow  to  her 
devoted  husband. 

Writing  in  his  diary  at  this  time  he  says : 

"  How  bitter  has  been  the  cup  I  have  been 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  51 

called  to  drink !  Thirty  years  of  my  life 
gone !  Where  shall  I  be  thirty  years  to  come. 
I  hope  to  be  in  heaven." 

But  life's  work  called  loudly  and  he  could  but 
listen  and  heed. 


CHRISTIAN  POLITICIAN 

PASTOR— LEBANON 

LEBANON  ACADEMY 

AUGUSTA 

LEGISLATURE 

A  NEW  HOME  LIFE 


VI 

The  Cheney  family  may  be  said  to  possess 
political  genius.  Oren's  father  and  two  of  his 
brothers  were  members  of  the  New  Hampshire 
legislature.  His  brother  Person  was  Governor  of 
New  Hampshire,  United  States  Senator,  for  a 
short  time  Minister  to  Switzerland,  and  for  many 
years  an  influential  member  of  the  National 
Republican  Committee.  Elias,  the  youngest 
brother,  has  been  Consul  to  Matanzas,  then  later 
to  Curacao.  Many  other  near  relatives  have 
occupied  prominent  public  positions.  But  no  one 
of  them  had  a  more  level  head  or  better  political 
foresight  than  Oren. 

In  1846  there  was  an  interesting  condition  in 
the  country,  owing  to  the  agitation  caused  by  the 
Wilmot  Proviso,  a  measure  before  Congress,  to 
limit  the  extension  of  slavery.  John  P.  Hale,  a 
democratic  candidate  in  New  Hampshire  for  the 
United  States  House  of  Representatives,  was 
defeated  because  he  would  not  consent  to  have 
the  clause  favoring  the  Wilmot  Proviso  taken 
from  the  New  Hampshire  Democratic  platform. 

Then  came  a  party  split,  John  P.  Hale,  Amos 
Tuck  and  George  G.  Fogg  being  leaders  of  the 
Independent  Democrats.  The  two  latter  were 
intimate  friends  of  O.  B.  Cheney.  Amos  Tuck 
had  been  a  Parsonsfield  man  and  had  given  Mr. 


56  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Cheney  one  hundred  dollars  towards  the  first  ten 
thousand  raised  for  the  Free  Baptist  Education 
Society.  Fogg  was  Cheney's  room-mate  both  at 
New  Hampton  and  Dartmouth.  Both  of  these 
men  were  broad-minded  and  opposed  to  slavery. 
To  advance  the  interests  of  the  new  party  Fogg 
started  the  Independent  Democrat.  When  the  legis- 
lature met  there  were  four  parties  represented  in 
it,  no  one  strong  enough  to  control  the  situation. 
Mr.  Cheney  saw  a  great  opportunity.  He  laid 
a  plan  and  with  his  usual  persistence  set  about  its 
development.  If  he  could  induce  the  Liberty 
party  men,  the  Independent  Democrats  and  the 
Whigs  to  vote  together  he  saw  the  possibility  of 
such  a  victory  as  anti-slavery  men  had  not 
known.  With  the  men  of  his  own,  the  Liberty 
Party  he  had  powerful  influence,  also  with  his 
friends  among  the  Independent  Democrats,  and 
he  succeeded  in  influencing  leaders  among  the 
Whigs.  It  was  no  easy  task  he  undertook.  In 
the  reminiscence  he  says : 

"  It  was  as  hard  for  those  Liberty  party 
men  to  join  hands  with  those  whom  they  had 
considered  their  bitter  opponents  as  it  was 
for  the  Christians  at  Jerusalem  to  give  kindly 
greeting  to  the  persecutor  Saul." 

But  tactful  personal  influence  conquered  and 
every  one  yielded.  As  the  result  of  this  union  of 
forces  against  the  Democrats,  John  P.  Hale  was 
sent  to  the  United  States  Senate,  Amos  Tuck  to 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  57 

the  House  of  Representatives,  and  George  G. 
Fogg  was  made  Secretary  of  State  for  New  Hamp- 
shire. Up  to  this  time,  the  New  Hampshire 
Legislature  had  refused  to  incorporate  the  Free 
Baptist  Printing  Establishment,  because  The 
Morning  Star,  its  organ,  was  so  outspoken  against 
slavery.  At  this  session  of  1846,  its  charter  was 
readily  granted.  The  country  was  electrified  by 
the  news  from  New  Hampshire.  The  South  could 
hardly  believe  it  possible  that  an  anti-slavery 
Senator  had  been  elected.  Cool  men,  like  John 
G.  Whittier,  almost  went  wild  over  it.  Whittier 
wrote  some  verses,  quite  out  of  his  usual  style, 
which  were  published  anonymously  in  the  Boston 
Chronotypf.  In  these  he  gives  free  rein  to  his 
joy  by  representing  one  Northern  slavery  sym- 
pathizer as  dolefully  describing  the  situation  to  a 
friend.  His  reference  to  Free  Baptists  is  as 
follows : 

" « Tis  over,  Moses,  all  is  lost ! 

I  hear  the  bells  a-ringing ; 
Of  Pharaoh  and  his  red-sea  host 
I  hear  the  Free  Wills  singing. 
We're  routed,  Moses,  horse  and  foot 

If  there  be  truth  in  figures ; 

With  Federal  Whigs  in  hot  pursuit 

And  Hale  and  all  the  niggers." 

Mr.  Cheney  continued  his  good  offices  in  the 
political  anti-slavery  line  until  after  the  Free  Soil 
Party  was  formed  in  1848.  There  was  perhaps 


58  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

no  one  person,  beginning  with  the  circumstances 
just  referred  to,  who  did  more  than  O.  B.  Cheney 
in  bringing  about  this  consummation.  But  it  was 
all  done  with  the  high  purpose  of  securing  the 
overthrow  of  slavery,  and  caused  no  swerving  from 
his  life  plan ;  for  we  find  him  seeking  no  office, 
but,  true  to  his  convictions  of  duty,  accepting  a 
call  to  a  country  pastorate  at  West  Lebanon, 
Maine,  at  a  salary  of  $175  a  year. 

PASTOR    AT    LEBANON 

In  entering  on  his  first  pastorate,  Mr.  Cheney's 
most  prominent  feeling,  as  expressed  in  his  notes, 
seems  to  have  been  one  of  self-depreciation  and 
fear  that  he  was  not  good  enough  for  the  high 
calling  of  a  Christian  minister.  As  a  preacher, 
his  characteristics  were  dignity  of  manner  and 
deep  earnestness,  rather  than  a  magnetic  style,  or 
power  in  arousing  the  emotions.  Prof.  J.  Y.  Stan- 
ton  of  Bates  College  was  a  boy  when  Mr.  Cheney 
went  to  West  Lebanon.  He  describes  the  con- 
ditions as  follows : 

"  The  church  and  society  was  composed  of 
the  families  of  Legro's  Corner,  a  small  and 
beautiful  village,  and  those  on  the  farms 
near  by.  Nearly  all  were  Free  Baptists.  It 
was  an  intelligent,  moral  and  religious  com- 
munity, with  few  of  the  faults  of  country 
villages  at  the  present  time.  The  church  was 
largely  the  fruit  of  the  labor  of  one  man,  who 
had  preached  there  forty  years.  He  had  had 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  59 

few  opportunities  for  culture,  but  the  unsel- 
fishness and  purity  of  his  life  were  remark- 
able. He  was  paid  no  salary,  his  family 
deriving  their  support  mainly  from  his  farm. 
"  It  is  not  strange  that  a  man  who  put  so 
much  heart  into  his  work  should  not  want  a 
successor ;  and  it  is  not  strange  that  intelli- 
gent church  members  should  desire  a  change. 
All  were  reluctant  to  grieve  their  dear  friend 
and  some  would  not  consent  to  a  change. 
Mr.  Cheney  was  strongly  urged  to  become 
pastor  and  at  last  consented.  At  this  critical 
time  in  church  and  community,  a  man  less 
wise,  less  forbearing  and  less,  firm  than  Mr. 
Cheney  would  have  ruined  everything.  He 
was  non-partizan  and  cordial  to  all,  and  was 
soon  much  beloved  as  a  pastor  and  greatly 
admired  as  a  man." 

In  August,  1847,  a  new  home  life  was  started 
by  Mr.  Cheney's  marriage  with  Nancy  S.  Perkins, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Thomas  Perkins,  an  able  Free 
Baptist  minister.  She  was  a  woman  of  strong 
characteristics.  She  had  a  superior  education  and 
had  been  for  years  a  successful  teacher.  She  was 
thereby  not  only  fitted  to  be  a  pastor's  wife,  but 
also  a  helper  and  sympathizer  in  her  husband's 
educational  work.  Little  "  Holly,"  who  had  been 
cared  for  in  his  grandmother's  home,  now  came 
to  be  his  father's  companion  and  to  develop  in 
the  loving  atmosphere  of  home. 

It  will  help  us  as  we  further  study  Mr.  Cheney's 
character  to  note,  in  passing,  his  high  regard  for 


60  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

true  womanhood.  A  noble  woman  seemed  to  him 
to  embody,  in  a  degree  unattainable  by  any  man, 
the  finer  qualities  in  human  nature.  He  told  the 
writer  that,  early  in  life,  he  felt  defrauded  in  not 
having  the  opportunity  to  possess  that  especial 
refinement  which  seemed  to  him  innate  to  woman. 
He  admired  women  of  large  intellectual  capacity 
to  be  and  to  do,  those  who  stand  firmly  and 
bravely  beside  their  brothers  in  the  battle  of  life. 
The  ivy  type  did  not  so  much  attract  him ;  and 
yet  his  chivalrous  nature  was  on  the  alert  to  help 
women  who  were  suffering  from  unequal  condi- 
tions. 

Many  a  woman  has  sent  him  thanks  for  fatherly 
help  in  severe  trial  or  timely  advice  amid  legal 
disabilities.  Marriage  was  to  him  a  companion- 
ship of  equality,  a  union,  in  which  there  was 
something  strong  in  each  to  complement  the 
other's  need.  He  never  needed  conversion  to 
equal  suffrage.  He  believed  in  it  as  naturally  as 
he  breathed.  He  thought  that  woman's  sphere 
included  all  that  she  was  able  to  do  well  and  he 
rejoiced  in  all  new  openings  for  her  development. 

LEBANON    ACADEMY 

With  the  educational  impulse  strong  within 
them,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cheney  sympathized  with  the 
young  people  in  their  parish  who  were  longing  for 
better  educational  opportunities  and  they  started 
an  Academy  course  in  the  village  school-house. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  61 

Professor  J.  Y.  Stanton,  then  twelve  years  old, 
gives  us  an  interesting  reminiscence  of  it : 

"It  was  a  great  success  from  the  begin- 
ning. We  were  an  enthusiastic  band  of 
scholars.  I  began  the  study  of  Latin  under 
Mr.  Cheney,  a  thorough  and  lovable  teacher. 
Mrs.  Cheney  was  my  teacher  in  algebra  and 
she  was  very  interesting  and  competent.  She 
introduced  into  the  school  some  new  features, 
which  greatly  increased  the  interest.  Those 
were  happy  days  for  us,  young  people.  The 
success  of  this  school  demonstrated  to  Mr. 
Cheney  the  need  of  making  it  permanent  and 
Lebanon  Academy  was  founded.  Money  was 
easily  raised  and  a  substantial  two-story 
building  was  erected,  from  which  there  was  a 
fine  prospect  of  mountain,  river,  and  sur- 
rounding country. 

"  Lebanon  Academy  has  been  an  inesti- 
mable blessing,  not  only  to  Lebanon,  but  to 
all  the  neighboring  towns.  A  substantial  edu- 
cation has  been  obtained  here  by  more  than 
a  thousand  persons,  who,  without  the  Acad- 
emy, would  have  received  only  the  education 
of  the  town  school.  Several  young  men  re- 
ceived there  their  first  impulse  towards  a 
college  education.  In  the  few  years,  during 
which  Mr.  Cheney  resided  in  Lebanon,  he 
did  the  work  of  a  lifetime." 

Mr.  Cheney's  influence  as  a  character  builder 
is  shown  by  the  testimony  of  another  of  his 
students,  Benjamin  F.  Corson,  editor  of  the 
Register,  Glencoe,  Minnesota : 


62  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"  I  attended  Mr.  Cheney's  school  in  the 
little  red  school-house  in  Lebanon, — cut  the 
wood,  built  the  fires  and  swept  the  room  for 
my  tuition.  I  was  also  afterward  janitor  in 
the  Academy.  My  personal  feeling  for  my 
old  Professor  has  always  been  that  he  was 
one  of  God's  angels,  sent  to  show  his  pupils 
that  the  highest  aim  of  their  education  was 
to  serve  God  and  their  fellow-men.  His 
language  and  habits  of  life  were  the  purest 
and  best  *****  The  ninth  of  April, 
1850,  was  a  memorable  time.  In  the  previous 
February,  a  serious  spirit  began  to  pervade  the 
school.  Prayer  meetings  and  Sunday  services 
were  better  attended.  The  deep  undertone 
of  religious  feeling  increased,  until  by  the 
first  of  April  nearly  all  the  students,  number- 
ing seventy-five  or  eighty,  felt  its  influence. 

"April  sixth,  with  two  others,  I  made  a 
move  for  a  holier  life.  The  school  and  the 
whole  community  were  stirred  more  and  more, 
until  by  April  gth,  the  power  of  the  Holy  one 
so  rested  upon  the  pupils,  that  they  began  to 
ask  to  be  excused  and  went  to  the  long 
recitation  room  above.  At  last,  the  number 
left  was  so  small  that  Professor  Cheney  said : 
'You  may  all  go.'  All  went  except  two. 
Such  a  scene  I  never  saw,  or  experienced 
elsewhere, — some  singing,  some  praying,  some 
agonizing,  some  shouting,  and  heaven's  great 
unseen  cloud  of  rejoicing  angels  hovering 
over  repenting  young  men  and  women.  All 
over  the  school-room  and  environs  was  after- 
ward written,  '  Remember  April  9,  1850.' 
That  revival  was  the  result,  under  God,  of  O. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  63 

B.  Cheney's  life  and  Christian  influence.     He 
was  a  holy  man  from  the  ground  up." 

During  Mr.  Cheney's  residence  in  Lebanon,  two 
daughters,  Caroline  and  Emeline,  came  to  brighten 
his  home.  They  were  two  tricksy  little  sprites, 
who  brought  more  and  more  joy  and  sunshine  as 
they  developed.  The  father  heart  in  Mr.  Cheney 
was  strong  and  true.  A  very  busy  man,  he  yet 
had  time  to  know  and  enjoy  his  children  and  to 
give  to  their  best  interests  due  consideration.  His 
sympathy  with  them  was  so  hearty  that  ruling 
them  was  an  easy  matter.  He  found  love  and  a 
steady  eye  an  improvement  upon  Solomon's 
method.  He  loved  to  tell  how,  when  a  poor 
woman  called,  who  said  she  had  no  shoes  for  her 
children,  the  younger  tot  began  at  once  to  take 
off  her  own. 

CITIZEN 

As  already  seen,  Mr.  Cheney's  influence  as 
citizen  and  patriot  was  given  to  such  political 
movements  as  advanced  needed  reforms.  His 
first  vote  for  President  was  given  in  1844  for 
James  G.  Birney,  candidate  of  the  Liberty  Party. 
Now  that  the  Free  Soil  Party  had  taken  its  place, 
he  was  active  in  its  interests  and  soon  after  going 
to  Lebanon  was  made  its  candidate  for  the  United 
States  House  of  Representatives ;  but  finding  that 
the  Whig  candidate  was  opposed  to  slavery,  he 
declined  the  nomination.  Later,  by  a  combination 


64  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

of  the  Free  Soil,  Independent  and  Whig  parties  of 
the  towns  of  Lebanon  and  Sandford,  he  was  elected 
Representative  to  the  Maine  Legislature. 

Rev.  Mr.  Cheney's  real  manhood  could  hardly 
have  been  paid  a  higher  compliment,  for  the 
nomination  was  made  without  his  knowledge.  He 
was  greatly  surprised,  when,  the  morning  after 
election,  a  neighbor  called  and  informed  him  of 
his  success.  But  never  was  divine  guidance  more 
plainly  seen  in  the  fitting  of  any  man  for  his  life 
work.  Nothing  could  have  been  more  opportune 
than  his  spending  several  months  during  the  next 
two  years  as  legislator  at  the  capital  city  of  Maine. 

Legislative  business  was  to  him  like  his  native 
air.  He  was  at  home  in  it.  He  readily  learned 
its  tactics.  His  honesty  of  purpose  commanded 
respect  and  he  rapidly  gained  influence.  In  any- 
thing he  attempted  his  persistency  was  balanced 
by  his  gentlemanly  manner  and  quietness  of  spirit. 
The  fact  that  he  secured  from  the  legislature  two 
thousand  dollars  toward  an  endowment  for  Leb- 
anon Academy  shows  that  he  had  already  learned 
the  art  of  getting  money  for  good  purposes. 

One  other  notable  thing  connected  with  his 
service  in  the  Legislature  is  worthy  of  notice.  It 
was  in  1851  that  Neal  Dow  first  went  to  Augusta 
to  urge  the  prohibitory  method  of  dealing  with 
the  liquor  traffic.  Some  professed  temperance 
men  were  uncertain  about  such  a  drastic  measure, 
but  O.  B.  Cheney  recognized  its  value  at  once. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  65 

It  was  a  satisfaction  to  him  to  vote  for  it  and 
always  a  pleasant  memory  that  he  had  the  privi- 
lege. To  the  end  of  his  life  he  never  wavered  in 
his  belief  in  and  devotion  to  the  principle  of 
prohibition  as  the  true  one  to  be  applied  to  the 
liquor  business,  and  no  sophistry  ever  blinded  him 
to  its  great  value  to  the  State  of  Maine.  Accord- 
ing to  his  best  judgment,  he  always  voted  con- 
sistently with  his  belief. 


AUGUSTA  PASTORATE 

POLITICAL  ACTIVITY 

OFFICIAL  POSITION 

EDITORIAL  CONTRIBUTOR  TO  THE 
MORNING  STAR 


VII 

In  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century  the 
line  between  denominations  was  so  sharply  drawn 
that  bitter  discussions  of  doctrines  were  common 
among  ministers  and  laymen  of  different  faiths, 
and  too  great  charity  for  differences  in  creeds  was 
believed  to  verge  on  heresy.  To  one  so  true  to 
his  own  convictions  as  was  O.  B.  Cheney  there 
was  no  temptation  to  attend  any  church  because 
of  its  popularity,  or  because  of  its  wealth  or 
influence. 

It  is,  therefore,  just  what  would  be  expected 
that,  during  his  months  in  the  Legislature  in 
Augusta,  he  should  attend  the  little  Free  Baptist 
church,  worshiping  in  a  small  hall,  and  it  was  a 
natural  result  that  his  helpfulness  in  speaking  and 
singing  should  lead  to  his  receiving  a  call  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  church.  Of  the  circumstances 
attending  Mr.  Cheney's  acceptance  of  the  call 
Rev.  C.  F.  Penney,  D.D., — so  long  the  loved  and 
honored  pastor  of  this  same  church — wrote,  many 
years  later,  the  following  reminiscence : 

"Walking  down  State  street  a  few  years 
since,  with  President  Cheney,  he  suddenly 
paused  on  the  sidewalk,  about  half  way 
between  the  residence  of  Hon.  James  G. 
Blaine  and  the  State  House.  I  looked  inquir- 
ingly and  he  said,  'On  this  spot  I  made  what 


70  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

was  perhaps  the  most  important  decision  of 
my  life.  I  decided  to  come  to  Augusta  to 
take  charge  of  our  church  interest  here,  at 
the  invitation  of  the  church  and  the  Free 
Baptist  Home  Mission  Society.  The  session 
of  the  legislature  was  drawing  to  a  close  and 
I  was  about  to  go  home.  I  had  a  call  to 
another  place  at  a  fair  salary.  The  call  here 
had  little  money  in  it,  hardly  enough  to  keep 
soul  and  body  together,  and  the  hardest  of 
work.  Thinking  as  to  what  was  duty,  I  sud- 
denly paused,  at  this  very  place,  and  asked 
myself  in  so  many  words,  'to  which  place 
shall  I  go  ? '  And  a  voice  seemed  to  say, 
'  to  Augusta.'  I  audibly  replied, '  I  will  choose 
this  field.'  " 

Mr.  Cheney  had  spent  six  years  of  hard  work 
at  Lebanon,  ministering  to  the  church  and  found- 
ing the  Academy.  He  left  the  former  united  and 
prosperous  and  the  latter  so  well  established  that 
years  of  usefulness  were  before  it.  In  his  written 
articles  he  always  referred  with  touching  tender- 
ness to  the  associations  and  friendships  of  his 
first  pastorate. 

His  life-purpose  at  this  time  is  well  illustrated 
by  the  following  incident.  While  he  was  planting 
an  orchard  of  apple  trees  at  his  Lebanon  home,  a 
passing  friend  asked  :  "  Why  do  you  do  this  ?  You 
will  never  eat  apples  from  those  trees."  "No," 
was  the  reply,  "  but  somebody  will." 

On  taking  the  Augusta  pastorate  Mr.  Cheney 
saw  that  in  order  to  establish  the  church  on  a  firm 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  71 

basis,  the  first  requisite  was  a  house  of  worship. 
With  him  to  see  a  need  was  to  act,  and  we  find 
him  during  the  next  year  busily  engaged  in  raising 
the  money  for  building  the  edifice,  which  for  over 
fifty  years  was  to  be  the  church  home.  In  raising 
this  money  Mr.  Cheney  not  only  canvassed  Maine 
churches,  but  also  many  in  other  New  England 
States,  thus  obtaining  an  experience  that  proved 
very  valuable  in  his  later  life-work.  With  the 
purpose  of  securing  aid  in  his  work  he  wrote 
numerous  articles  for  The  Morning  Star.  The 
printed  reports  of  his  receipts  show  not  only  that 
most  of  the  money  was  raised  in  small  amounts, 
but  also  how  careful  he  was  to  acknowledge  every 
cent  received.  His  purpose  is  expressed  in  an 
article,  in  which  he  says : 

"  It  should  be  remembered  that  we  will 
never  raise  a  finger  in  helping  to  dedicate  the 
house  until  it  shall  be  paid  for." 

The  result  is  stated  in  Rev.  C.  F.  Penney's 
reminiscence : 

"The  beautiful  church  in  Augusta,  dedi- 
cated without  debt  in  a  little  more  than  a 
year  after  President  Cheney's  pastorate  com- 
menced, stands  a  monument  of  his  indomi- 
table faith  and  persistent  zeal." 

Although  the  church  was  dedicated  and  practi- 
cally completed  in  November,  1853,  many  finish- 
ing touches  remained  to  be  given.  One  of  these 


72  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

was   the   furnishing   of   the    pastor's    study.     In 
September,  1854,  Mr.  Cheney  writes  in  his  diary: 

"  This  morning  I  enter  my  study  in  our 
new  church.  It  is  a  neat,  pretty  minister's 
home.  How  kind  are  my  dear  brethren  and 
sisters,  in  fitting  up  for  me  this  inner  court 
in  the  Lord's  temple !  Well,  I  have  just  dedi- 
cated it  to  God." 

Here  he  gives  a  complete  order  of  exercises, 
adding  to  each,  "  By  the  poor  pastor."  "  I  know 
God  will  accept  the  consecration,  because  all  has 
been  done  with  an  honest  heart.  He  has  helped 
us  in  erecting  this  house.  Now,  oh,  Lord,  fill  it 
and  me  with  thy  glory.  Oh  that  God  would  ever 
dwell  in  this  study  to  teach  me  by  His  spirit  and 
His  word  and  make  me  useful  to  His  people." 

Everything  seemed  now  to  promise  for  Mr. 
Cheney  a  successful  pastorate  in  a  growing,  con- 
genial church.  His  pulpit  ministrations  were 
thoughtful  and  dignified  and  attended  with  spirit- 
ual power,  as  shown  by  frequent  baptisms  and 
accessions  to  the  church.  Because  of  his  sym- 
pathetic nature,  he  was  much  in  demand  at 
funerals.  He  was  held  in  general  respect  and 
had  influence  with  many  prominent  citizens. 

During  this  pastorate  his  voice  was  at  its  best. 
His  singing  was  of  the  gospel  evangelist  style  and 
made  deep  impressions.  Some  people  said  they 
went  to  church  to  hear  him  sing. 

That  his  ideas  of  a  Christian  church  were  broad 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  73 

and  comprehensive  is  shown  by  Rev.   Dr.  C.  F. 
Penney's  testimony  thirty  years  later. 

"  A  new  church  interest,  such  as  President 
Cheney  formed  at  Augusta,  is  easily  molded. 
A  trusted  leader  shapes  it  almost  at  will. 
Fortunate,  indeed,  are  the  people  whose  early 
history  is  under  such  guidance  as  that  of  the 
Augusta  church  in  the  first  four  years  of  its 
existence.  Our  church  became  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  spirit  of  its  leader  and  from 
that  day  to  the  present  has  stood,  not  only 
strong  and  pronounced  on  all  questions  of 
moral  and  social  reform,  but  equally  intelli- 
gent and  liberal  in  the  various  departments 
of  Christian  benevolence." 

POLITICAL   ACTIVITY 

In  order  to  understand  Mr.  Cheney's  all-around 
development,  we  must  take  note  of  his  other  ac- 
tivities during  the  early  years  of  his  Augusta  pas- 
torate. His  interest  in  the  Free  Soil  Party  had 
not  in  the  least  abated.  This  party  was  the  polit- 
ical expression  of  anti-slavery  sentiment,  and,  as 
a  Christian  man,  he  felt  that  he  must  do  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  its  interests.  That  he  was  a 
valued  helper  is  shown  by  his  election,  in  1852, 
by  the  Maine  Free  Soil  convention  as  its  delegate 
to  the  National  Free  Soil  Convention  at  Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania,  which  nominated  John  P. 
Hale  for  the  presidency.  Some  incidents  con- 
nected with  the  journey  to  Pittsburgh  are  worthy 


74  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

of  note.  One  evening  on  the  steamer  on  Lake 
Erie  many  passengers, — including  Charles  Francis 
Adams  and  other  delegates  of  note — were  gathered 
on  deck,  watching  a  glorious  sunset.  Suddenly  an 
inspiration  came  to  Mr.  Cheney  and  he  sang  verse 
after  verse  of  an  old  hymn,  the  closing  of  which 
was : 

"A  trust  in  God  I  hold  it  fast 
In  peril  and  in  pain, 

Until  that  glorious  Sun  shall  rise, 
That  ne'er  shall  set  again," 

closing  just  as  the  sun  sank  in  the  water.  That 
it  created  a  profound  impression  is  shown  by  the 
testimony  of  Rev.  G.  H.  Ball,  D.D.,  who  was  one 
of  the  delegates  present  and  who  says : 

"  The  steamer  was  crowded  with  passengers 
of  every  stripe  of  politics.  Dr.  Cheney  sang 
as  if  inspired.  All  were  charmed  by  the  clear, 
rich  tenor  voice  and  many  eyes  were  wet." 

At  each  stopping-place  delegates  joined  the 
party  and  among  them  was  Frederick  Douglass. 
Dinner  for  the  delegates  was  ready  at  Alliance, 
Ohio.  As  they  entered  the  dining  hall  the  two 
long  tables  looked  very  inviting  to  the  hungry 
men  ;  but  the  proprietor  blocked  the  way.  The 
"  nigger  "  must  not  come  in.  "  I  tell  you  that  raised 
a  storm,"  said  Dr.  Cheney,  in  telling  of  the  inci- 
dent. "  The  delegates  said  with  one  accord,  '  If 
Fred  Douglass  cannot  eat,  we  will  not ;'  then  the 
proprietor  backed  right  down." 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  75 

The  convention  was  a  very  enthusiastic  one. 
Dr.  Cheney  always  remembered  with  pride  the 
very  able  speech  made  by  his  friend,  Dr.  Ball. 
A  few  weeks  later  Mr.  Cheney  attended  a  banquet 
given  in  Boston  in  honor  of  John  P.  Hale,  at 
which  Charles  Sumner  was  one  of  the  speakers. 
In  his  report  of  it  for  The  Morning  Star  he  refers 
to  the  absence  of  wine  as  a  noticeable  and  very 
gratifying  feature.  Mr.  Cheney  retained  through 
life  a  very  pleasant  remembrance  of  his  acquaint- 
ance with  John  P.  Hale,  and  he  often  repeated 
some  of  Hale's  apt  stories.  One  of  these,  which 
he  used  to  illustrate  a  weak  character,  is  as  fol- 
lows : 

"A  domineering  wife  one  day  made  her 
husband  crawl  under  the  bed  when  they  saw 
a  visitor  coming.  After  a  while  the  poor 
fellow  began  to  look  slyly  out  between  the 
valances.  The  threatening  look  of  his  wife 
intimidated  him  for  a  time,  but  soon  his 
patience  gave  way  and  he  burst  out  with, 
'As  long  as  I  have  the  spirit  of  a  man,  I  will 
peep."1 

SECRETARY    AND    EDITORIAL   CONTRIBUTOR 

In  October,  1853,  Mr.  Cheney  was  a  delegate 
to  the  Free  Baptist  General  Conference,  held  in 
Fairport,  New  York.  He  had  been  for  four  years 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Free  Baptist  Kdu- 
cation  Society  and  for  five  years  Recording  Secre- 
tary of  the  Free  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary 


76  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Society.  The  duties  involved  in  these  responsible 
positions  gave  him  an  influence  in  the  denomina- 
tion and  kept  him  in  touch  with  people  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  country. 

This  meeting  of  the  General  Conference  was  of 
much  importance,  as  the  immediate  future  of  the 
Biblical  School  was  settled  by  the  decision  to 
remove  it  to  New  Hampton,  New  Hampshire,  and 
to  raise  $20,000  towards  its  endowment.  On  his 
return  to  Augusta,  Mr.  Cheney  entered  heartily 
into  the  work  of  helping  to  raise  this  money  and 
soon  began  to  report  receipts  for  it. 

He  was  a  regular  attendant  at  and  an  influential 
factor  in  the  Quarterly  and  Yearly  Meetings,  of 
which  his  church  was  a  constituent  member.  It 
is  a  good  example  of  his  foresight  and  good  judg- 
ment, that  at  the  session  of  the  Kennebec  Yearly 
Meeting,  held  in  1853,  he  proposed  a  union  of  the 
three  Maine  Yearly  Meetings  into  a  State  Associ- 
ation, as  conducive  to  better  system  and  greater 
efficiency  in  work.  This  was  so  earnestly  opposed 
that  the  matter  rested  for  many  years,  but  the 
union  was  effected  in  1888,  much  to  the  advantage 
of  the  denominational  work. 

During  one  Yearly  Meeting  session  a  terrific 
thunder  storm  rolled  and  crashed  around  the 
church.  Some  of  the  people  were  terrified  and  a 
panic  seemed  imminent,  when  Mr.  Cheney  went 
to  the  platform  and  sang  the  old  hymn,  one  verse 
of  which  is : 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  77 

"  God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 

His  wonders  to  perform  ; 
He  plants  his  footsteps  in  the  sea, 

And  rides  upon  the  storm." 

The  clear  voice,  rising  above  the  noise  of  the 
elements,  produced  an  electrical  effect  more 
potent  than  that  without,  for  before  he  had 
finished,  the  audience  sat  as  if  spell-bound,  then 
looking  out  found  the  storm  was  abating. 

From  the  time  when,  in  1843,  Mr.  Cheney  began 
to  write  brief  articles  for  The  Morning  Star,  the 
amount  contributed  continued  to  increase  with 
the  passing  years.  It  will  help  us  to  an  insight 
into  his  interest  in  current  events  to  note  the 
different  subjects  on  which  he  wrote  during  the 
time  when  many  people  would  have  been  so  ab- 
sorbed in  church  building  and  the  other  activities 
referred  to  as  to  have  no  thought  for  anything 
else.  During  the  three  months  preceding  the 
dedication  of  the  Augusta  church  each  issue  of 
the  paper  had  two  or  more  articles  from  his  pen, 
including  the  following  subjects  : 

1.  Several  on  Temperance,  with  discussion  of 
conditions  in  Rhode  Island,  New  Hampshire  and 
Minnesota ;    and  with  appeals  to  the  people  of 
Maine  to  so  vote  as  to  retain  the  Prohibitory 
Law. 

2.  Duties   of    a   Faithful  Sunday   School 
Teacher. 


78  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

3.  A  general  article  on  The  Free  Baptists  in 
New  Brunswick. 

4.  Value  of  Woman's    Work    in  the  Temper- 
ance and  Anti-slavery  Reforms. 

5.  Duty  of  Ministers  to  the  Sick. 

6.  Articles  on  Political  Conditions. 

7.  Several  columns  on  Anti-Slavery,  with  an 
extended  discussion  of  criticisms  of  Mrs.  Harriet 
Beecher  Stowe. 

8.  Respect  for  Law. 

9.  A   thrilling  story  of  a  man,   robbed  in   a 
"  grog-shop  "  while  on  the  way  to  make  purchases 
for  a  sick  wife. 

10.  Frequent  stories  of  travel  in  the  interest 
of  the  Augusta  church,  with  tables  of  receipts. 

11.  Reports  as  Corresponding  and  Recording 
Secretary  of  the  Societies  previously  referred  to. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Corporators  of  the 
Free  Baptist  Printing  Establishment,  held  in  1853, 
Mr.  Cheney  was  elected  assistant  editor  of  The 
Morning  Star.  In  his  Salutatory,  in  the  issue  of 
October,  1853,  after  referring  to  his  receipt  of  the 
news  of  his  appointment,  he  says : 

"In  the  autumn  of  1839,  just  fourteen 
years  ago,  we  received  a  similar  announce- 
ment, but  fearing  that  our  youthful  pen  would 
fail  to  do  what  might  be  expected  of  it,  we 
did  not  dare  assume  such  a  responsibility  and 
declined  it.  *  *  *  *  We  accept  the  appoint- 
ment this  time,  not  because  we  now  feel 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  79 

adequate  to  the  work  assigned  us — for  more 
and  more  we  see  our  ignorance — but  because 
we  believe  that,  if  a  man  cannot  do  every- 
thing, he  can  do  something.  If  he  cannot  be 
faithful  in  much,  he  can  be  faithful  in  little. 

1  And  he  that  does  the  best  he  can,  does  well, 
Acts  nobly,  an  angel  can  do  no  more.' " 

He  follows  with  burning  words  expressive  of  his 
feeling  about  the  evils  of  slavery  and  intemper- 
ance and  his  purpose  to  write  and  work  for  their 
overthrow.  During  the  next  ten  years  with  few 
exceptions  he  contributed  weekly  to  The  Morning 
Star  articles  on  themes  as  varied  as  is  the  life  of 
humanity.  One  of  these,  published  in  the  Star  of 
June  2,  1854,  was  a  description  as  an  eye-witness 
of  the  return  to  slavery  of  Anthony  Burns.* 

We  give  a  few  extracts : 

"  I  was  in  Boston.  Awaking  early,  I  took 
a  walk.  I  wanted  the  atmosphere  of  1776, 
none  of  the  oxygen  taken  out.  So  I  stood 
upon  Dorchester  Heights,  one  of  the  spots 
consecrated  to  liberty  and  the  equal  rights  of 
man." 

That  morning  the  news  spread  like  wild-fire 
that  Anthony  Burns  had  been  seized  by  U.S. 

•The  Fugitive  Slave  law,  requiring  the  return  of  run- 
away slaves  to  their  owners,  although  passed  in  1851,  had 
aroused  so  much  opposition  in  the  North  as  to  be  but 
partially  operative.  The  South  clamored  for  enforcement 
and  United  States  officials  came  to  their  aid. 


80  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

officers.  Hearing  of  this,  Mr.  Cheney  repaired 
quickly  to  the  city  proper  and  thus  reported  what 
ensued : 

"  Through  the  politeness  of  a  college  class- 
mate I  was  seated  at  a  window  in  full  view  of 
what  was  passing,  and  this  is  the  scene :  The 
door  of  the  court-house  is  strongly  guarded. 
A  six  pound  cannon  faces  it.  An  immense 
crowd  of  a  thousand  soldiers  surround  it. 
Men,  women  and  children  fill  the  streets,  look 
out  of  windows,  lean  against  chimneys  and 
are  on  roofs  of  the  highest  buildings.  An 
approaching  guard  of  United  States  Marines 

is  greeted  with  a  storm  of  hisses 

It  is  now  twenty-five  minutes  past  nine. 
There  is  motion  and  stir  in  the  court-room. 
The  decision  is  made.  Liberty  or  slavery 
has  triumphed.  'Goes  back.  Goes  back. 
Goes  back,'  runs  along  the  tens  of  thousands 
as  lightning  on  the  wires.  Then  follow  hisses, 
groans  and  cries  of  'shame.'  Women  hang 
out  from  windows  black  shawls,  mantillas, 
and  strips  of  cloth " 

Mr.  Cheney  follows  with  the  crowd  and  sees 
Burns  put  upon  the  United  States  cutter  that  is  to 
return  him  to  slavery.  He  hears  the  master  offered 
twelve  hundred  dollars  for  him  and  hears  that  the 
word  from  Washington  is  "  Must  go  back."  Then 
the  intensity  of  his  feelings  expresses  itself  in  the 
following  language  : 

"  Go  back !  Oh  thou  great  and  mighty  God  ! 
Thou  ruler  of  the  land  and  sea !  Why  dost 


O.  B.  Cheney 
About  1855 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  81 

thou  not  in  anger  stretch  out  thine  hand  and 
let  thy  winds  blow,  thy  tempests  rise,  thy 
ocean  rock  in  fury,  thy  thunder-bolts  crash 
and  all  on  board — one  only  excepted — go  to 
the  lowest  bottom  !  Why  ?  Because  thou  art 
slow  to  anger  and  waitest  to  be  gracious. 
Thou  canst  bear  it.  Help  me  to  bear  it  in 
the  spirit  of  an  unworthy  child  of  thine.  My 
prayer  then  only  shall  be  '  Father  forgive 
them.  They  know  not  what  they  do.'  To 
my  brother  in  bonds : 

'Live    and    take    comfort.     Thou    hast    left 

behind 
Powers  that  will  work  for  thee,  air,  earth  and 

skies. 

There's  not  a  breathing  of  the  common  mind 
That  will  forget  thee.  Thou  hast  great 

allies.'  " 

Such  is  an  illustration  of  the  work  which,  as 
assistant  editor,  found  its  place  in  Mr.  Cheney's 
busy  life  for  years  to  come. 


THE  VISION 

MAINE  STATE  SEMINARY 

DIFFICULTY  IN  SECURING  A   CHARTER 

LOCATION  IN  LEWISTON 

CHARLES  SUMNER  FURNISHES  A 
SCHOOL  MOTTO 

LETTERS  FROM  CHARLES  SUMNER 


VIII 

On  the  evening  of  September  twenty-second, 
1854,  Mr.  Cheney  was  resting  in  his  Augusta 
home,  planning  for  the  development  of  his  church 
work,  when  a  letter  was  handed  to  him.  It  proved 
to  be  from  Rev.  J.  A.  Lowell,  Principal  of  Par- 
sonsfield  Seminary,  and  contained  the  startling 
announcement  that  the  Seminary  building  had 
been  burned  to  the  ground. 

As  Mr.  Cheney  pondered  over  this  great  dis- 
aster, a  flood  of  tender  recollections  rushed  over 
him.  He  recalled  his  early  experience  at  Parsons- 
field,  first  as  scholar,  then  later  as  teacher  and 
preacher,  and  lived  over  his  early  married  life 
there.  But  soon  his  thought  turned  from  himself 
to  the  boys  and  girls  so  suddenly  deprived  of  a 
school,  and,  as  he  thought  on  and  on,  he  became 
impressed  with  the  need  of  a  more  centrally 
located  and  higher  institution  of  learning  than  any 
previously  furnished  Free  Baptist  young  people  in 
Maine.*  He  also  remembered  that  there  were  many- 
bright  boys  and  girls,  without  denominational  con- 
nee  t  ion,  scattered  throughout  the  villages  and 
farming  districts,  who  longed  for  an  education,  but 
were  without  the  means  of  obtaining  it. 

*  It  must  be  remembered  that  at  this  time  nearly  all  insti- 
tutions, except  common  grade  schools,  were  under  denomi- 
national auspices. 


86  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

As  he  weighed  the  needs  and  conditions,  an  ideal 
school  began  to  take  form  in  his  mind,  adapted 
to  students  who,  in  order  to  pay  their  way,  must 
depend  on  their  own  efforts.  As  he  studied  the 
matter,  the  possibility  of  founding  such  a  school 
seemed  more  and  more  practicable.  Then  a  voice, 
as  if  from  heaven,  seemed  to  say  to  his  inmost 
being,  "  Do  this  work  for  me." 

Startled  by  the  suddenness  of  the  thought,  he 
urged,  in  opposition,  his  consecration  to  the 
ministry  and  his  opportunity  for  usefulness  in 
Augusta — that  he  had  worked  hard  to  secure  a 
house  of  worship  and  was  now  just  ready  to  reap 
the  benefits  in  building  up  a  strong  church.  But 
the  divine  vision  of  duty  would  not  be  dismissed. 
Hour  after  hour  passed  and  as  he  sat  and  pon- 
dered, oblivious  of  the  passing  time,  the  needs  and 
possibilities  developed  more  and  more  in  his 
thought.  The  future  of  numbers  of  young  people 
seemed  suddenly  entrusted  to  him. 

But  he  saw  also  the  difficulties  to  be  encount- 
ered. He  knew  that  few,  even  of  his  friends, 
would  understand  or  sympathize  with  his  ideals, 
— that,  instead  of  enthusiastic  helpers,  he  should 
have  to  contend  with  faint-heartedness  and  even 
opposition.  He  saw  that  it  meant  years  of  unap- 
preciated hard  work ;  he  saw  days  and  days  of 
solicitation  for  money,  involving  frequent  and 
prolonged  absences  from  home. 

But,   as  the   night  waned,   the   vision  of  duty 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  87 

became  more  and  more  insistent,  until,  finally, 
with  prayer  for  guidance,  he  yielded  to  what  he 
believed  to  be  a  divine  call, — made  the  great 
sacrifice  of  giving  up  the  ministry  (how  great  it 
was,  few  but  himself  ever  knew),  and  said,  "  Here 
am  I,  Lord,  to  do  thy  will." 

When,  in  the  early  morning  hours,  Mr.  Cheney 
retired  to  rest,  his  purpose  and  plans  in  life  were 
as  completely  changed  as  if  he  had  become 
another  man.  His  future  life  proved  that  "  he 
was  not  disobedient  unto  the  heavenly  vision." 
September  twenty-second,  1854,  was  always  to 
him  the  birth-night,  not  only  of  Maine  State 
Seminary,  but  of  Bates  College  also,  for  the  latter 
is  but  a  natural  outgrowth  of  the  former. 

MAINE   STATE   SEMINARY 

O.  B.  Cheney  was  altogether  too  shrewd  a  man 
to  forestall  either  success  or  defeat  by  many  con- 
fidences in  regard  to  his  new  plans.  He  under- 
stood human  nature  well  enough  to  know  that  the 
divine  voice  which  speaks  to  one  man  is  not  heard 
by  the  multitude.  He  made  his  moves  with  cau- 
tion. As  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Free 
Baptist  Education  Society  it  was  suitable  for  him 
to  be  a  leader  in  some  action  to  be  taken  in  con- 
sequence of  the  burning  of  Parsonsfield  Seminary. 

The  anniversaries  of  the  Free  Baptist  Benevo- 
lent Societies  were  to  be  held  in  Saco,  Maine,  in 
the  following  month — October,  1854.  There,  at 


88  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Mr.  Cheney's  invitation,  "  the  friends  of  a  higher 
institution  of  learning  "  met  in  the  church  gallery, 
and  voted  to  call  a  convention  to  act  upon  the 
matter.  During  the  next  month  Mr.  Cheney  was 
busy,  enlisting  the  interest  of  those  who  would  be 
likely  to  be  in  sympathy  with  starting  a  school, 
prominent  among  these  being  Rev.  E.  Knowlton, 
member  of  Congress  from  Maine.  The  conven- 
tion was  held  in  Topsham,  Maine,  in  the  follow- 
ing month — November.  In  presenting  the  need 
for  a  school  Mr.  Cheney  said  in  part : 

"  We  do  not  propose  an  Academy,  but  a 
school  of  high  order,  between  a  college  and 
an  Academy.  We  shall  petition  the  Legis- 
lature of  Maine  to  suitably  endow,  as  well  as 
to  incorporate,  such  an  Institution.  We  know 
our  claim  is  good  and  we  intend  openly  and 
manfully  and  we  trust  in  a  Christian  spirit  to 
press  it.  If  we  fail  next  winter,  we  shall  try 
another  legislature.  If  we  fail  on  a  second 
trial,  we  hope  to  try  a  third  and  a  fourth." 

Such  faith  and  determination  could  but  be  con- 
tagious. The  convention  enthusiastically  voted 
to  establish  a  school.  Trustees  were  elected  and 
a  committee  consisting  of  O.  B.  Cheney,  E. 
Knowlton  and  Francis  Lyford  was  appointed  to 
have  the  matter  in  charge.  A  prominent  minister 
from  New  Hampshire  came  to  the  convention  to 
oppose  the  movement,  on  the  ground  that  the 
Free  Baptist  school  in  that  state  was  sufficient ; 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  89 

thus,  at  its  birth,  the  school  was  baptized  in  the 
element  of  opposition.  But  as  well  might  the 
effort  have  been  made  to  stay  an  incoming  tide. 

At  the  time  appointed  for  the  first  committee 
meeting,  Rev.  Mr.  Knowlton  was  sick,  but  Messrs. 
Cheney  and  Lyford  went  in  a  sleigh  through  a 
snow-storm  from  Augusta  to  South  Montville  and 
the  meeting  was  held  in  Mr.  Knowlton's  sick 
room.  Since  September  twenty-second,  plans  had 
been  taking  form  in  Mr.  Cheney's  mind,  and  these 
were  the  ones  that,  in  the  main,  were  adopted  as 
the  working  method  in  founding  the  school.  At 
his  suggestion  the  proposed  institution  was  named 
Maine  State  Seminary. 

The  securing  of  a  charter  from  the  legislature 
was  the  first  thing  to  be  attempted.  As  a  result 
of  the  committee's  activity,  in  order  to  pave  the 
way  for  legislative  action,  petitions  to  the  legis- 
lature for  charter  and  endowment  for  the  proposed 
school  were  at  once  placed  in  circulation  among 
Free  Baptists  and  other  friends  of  the  Seminary, 
and,  on  the  assembling  of  the  Maine  legislature 
in  January  in  its  session  of  i854-'55,  two  of  these 
petitions  with  a  large  number  of  signatures  were 
ready  for  presentation.  Others  continued  to  come 
in,  until,  by  February  28th,  twenty-four  different 
petitions  were  presented.  These  were  referred  to 
the  Joint  Committee  on  Education,  the  Chairman 
of  which  was  President  of  a  Seminary  in  the 
state. 


90  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

After  some  delay,  during  which  time  much  per- 
sonal work  was  done  among  the  members  of  the 
legislature,  the  Committee  reported  a  bill  giving 
to  Maine  State  Seminary  a  charter  and  an  appro- 
priation of  $15,000;  but  this  was  immediately 
followed  by  requests  for  aid  from  other  schools  in 
the  state,  with  the  result  that  the  Committee  soon 
after  reported  an  Omnibus  bill,  giving  to  different 
schools  $60,000.  This  was  with  the  apparent 
purpose  of  killing  the  whole  thing.  After  long 
discussion  the  Omnibus  bill  was  defeated,  for  the 
members  well  knew  that  they  would  not  be  sus- 
tained by  their  constituents  in  voting  for  edu- 
cation so  large  a  sum  of  money. 

There  seemed  now  to  be  little  prospect  that 
anything  could  be  done  at  that  session.  Mr. 
Knowlton  was  obliged  to  return  to  his  home  early 
in  February,  but  Messrs.  Cheney  and  Lyford  lived 
in  Augusta,  and,  although  publicly  the  matter 
rested,  quietly  but  steadily  the  interests  of  the 
school  were  pushed.  Mr.  Cheney  visited  member 
after  member  of  the  legislature  with  this  appeal : 

"  Other  denominations  have  their  schools 
and  they  have  been  helped  by  the  state. 
There  are  many  Free  Baptists  in  Maine 
whose  children  need  education,  in  order  to 
become  valuable  citizens.  Now  that  Parsons- 
field  Seminary  is  burned,  they  have  no  school. 
There  is  no  good  reason  why  they  should  not 
have  such  help  as  others  have  had." 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  91 

As  a  result  of  this  personal  work  the  bill  ap- 
propriating $15,000  and  that  giving  a  charter  to 
Maine  State  Seminary  were  again  reported  to  the 
House  and  passed  that  body.  (The  remainder  of 
the  story  is  mainly  in  Mr.  Cheney's  own  words : ) 

"  The  excitement  was  then  so  great,  that  I 
let  the  matter  rest  until  about  three  weeks 
before  the  close  of  the  session.  In  the  mean- 
time the  presidents  of  other  schools  went 
home.  As  the  session  was  nearing  its  close, 
I  called  upon  the  Chairman  of  the  Joint  Com- 
mittee, and  asked  him  if,  at  a  suitable  time, 
he  would  call  up  the  bill  for  action  in  the 
Senate.  He  said  it  would  be  of  no  use.  As 
the  bill  was  in  his  hands,  it  was  not  easy  to 
know  what  to  do  next,  but  I  found  a  friend 
of  the  measure  who  agreed  that,  if  the  Chair- 
man continued  to  refuse  to  report  the  bill,  he 
would  call  upon  him  to  do  so  from  the  floor 
of  the  Senate,  and,  if  he  then  declined,  he 
would  himself  call  it  up  on  the  last  day  of  the 
session. 

"  For  various  reasons  no  action  had  been 
taken  and  the  last  day  had  arrived.  Besides 
the  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  there  was 
one  other  Senator,  a  friend  of  his,  who  had 
earnestly  opposed  the  bill.  At  noon  I  ob- 
tained an  audience  with  him.  I  told  him 
that,  when  I  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature, 
I  voted  to  help  all  the  schools,  including  the 
one  in  which  he  was  interested.  I  reminded 
him  that  but  a  few  hours  remained  before  the 
close  of  the  session  and  begged  of  him,  as  a 
personal  favor,  that,  if  the  bill  was  brought 


92  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

up,  he  would  not  offer  an  amendment.  He 
finally  promised  and  then  I  felt  pretty  sure  of 
success. 

"  When  the  Senate  was  called  to  order  in 
the  afternoon,  I  went  right  to  the  Chairman 
and  asked  him  to  call  up  the  bill.  He  said, 
'  It  will  be  of  no  use,  Mr.  Cheney.  It  will 
not  pass.'  I  said  'call  it  up  and  let  us  see.' 
He  said  he  would,  if  I  would  allow  him  to 
make  an  amendment,  giving  to  the  school 
which  he  represented  $7,000  and  to  Maine 
State  Seminary  $8,000.  I  replied  that  that 
would  send  it  back  to  the  House  and  defeat 
everything  for  that  session.  When  he  found 
that,  if  he  did  not  report  the  bill,  some  one 
else  would  call  for  it,  he  yielded  and  it  was 
soon  before  the  Senate.  The  question  was 
on  the  engrossment.  The  motion  to  have  the 
bill  engrossed  was  passed  by  a  good  majority 
and  the  victory  seemed  to  be  won. 

"  Through  the  courtesy  of  the  President  of 
the  Senate,  I  was  myself  allowed  to  take  the 
document  to  the  Secretary  of  State's  office  to 
be  engrossed.  This  work  was  then  done  by 
hand  and  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before 
it  was  finished.  Imagine  my  feelings,  when, 
on  hearing  it  read,  I  discovered  a  mistake 
which  seriously  affected  the  whole  bill.  By 
permission  I  took  it  to  the  clerk  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  and  he  certified  as  to  how 
the  bill  passed,  but  he  said  it  was  too  late  to 
do  anything  more  about  it  at  that  session. 
I  had  a  different  opinion. 

"  The  second  engrossment  took  until  late 
in  the  evening.  I  then  carried  it  to  the  Com- 
mittee on  Engrossed  Bills  and  they  certified 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  93 

that  it  was  correct.  I  hastened  with  it  to 
the  Speaker  of  the  House,  Hon.  Sidney  Per- 
ham.  he  immediately  put  it  to  vote,  and  the 
bill  passed.  The  Speaker  then  allowed  me 
to  take  it  to  the  Senate.  The  presiding 
officer,  Hon.  Franklin  Muzzey,  at  once  called 
for  the  vote  of  that  body,  the  bill  passed  and 
he  signed  it.  I  asked  if,  instead  of  sending 
by  a  committee,  as  usual,  I  might,  in  person, 
take  it  to  the  Governor.  He  gave  the  per- 
mission. It  was  then  ten  o'clock.  The  ses- 
sion closed  at  twelve.  As  I  entered  the  room 
of  the  Governor,  Hon.  Anson  P.  Morrill,  he 
looked  up  from  the  bills  he  was  signing  and 
smilingly  said, 

"'Well,  Mr.  Cheney,  have  you  a  bill  there 
you  want  me  to  veto  ? '  I  replied, 

"'Yes,  Governor,  if  you  want  to!'  He 
promptly  affixed  his  signature  and  I  went 
home  and  went  to  sleep  with  the  happiest 
heart  I  had  had  in  years." 

Mr.  Cheney  inaugurated  the  campaign  for 
raising  money  for  the  school  by  the  following 
announcement  in  The  Morning  Star  of  March  28, 

1855  = 

"The  little  barque,  Maine  State  Seminary, 
came  safely  into  port,  the  i6th  instant. 
Probably  many  of  her  friends,  who  have  been 
so  anxious  as  to  her  fate,  were  locked  in 
slumber  at  the  hour  of  her  arrival,  for  it  was 
ten  o'clock.  The  voyage  was  long, — the 
weather  stormy, — the  freight  heavy, — but  she 
came  safely  in." 


94  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

To  advance  the  interests  of  the  school  Mr. 
Cheney  at  once  began  the  publication  in  Augusta 
of  a  monthly  paper — The  Seminary  Advocate. 
Through  its  pages  many  young  people  became 
interested  in  the  school  and  it  became  a  helpful 
medium  for  raising  money.  Messrs.  Cheney  and 
Knowlton  now  used  all  the  time  they  could  spare 
from  other  duties  in  soliciting  funds. 

LOCATION    IN    LEWISTON 

The  committee  on  locating  the  school  consisted 
of  Reverends  Cheney,  Knowlton  and  N.  Brooks. 
Different  sites  presented  claims  and  inducements 
and  it  was  after  much  careful  thought  and  investi- 
gation, attended  by  honest  differences  in  opinion, 
that  the  committee  finally  located  the  school  at 
Lewiston,  on  the  Androscoggin  river,  and  in  the 
county  of  that  name.  Lewiston  was  then  a  small, 
but  rapidly  growing  town.  It  was  not  only  a 
business  centre  for  a  fine  farming  district,  but  its 
water  facilities  for  mill  purposes  had  attracted 
Boston  capital  and  the  prospects  were  good  for 
rapid  development  in  manufacturing. 

The  site  of  the  school  was  donated  by  the 
citizens  of  Lewiston  and  the  Water  Power  Com- 
pany. Five  acres  were  at  first  offered,  but  Mr. 
Cheney  would  not  consider  locating  until  twenty 
acres  were  promised.  In  form  the  land  constitutes 
an  oblong  square.  It  is  situated  on  a  somewhat 
elevated  ridge,  sloping  gently  in  front  and  rear 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  95 

and  with  a  grove  of  five  or  six  acres.  It  is  about 
a  mile  from  the  business  centre  of  the  city,  the 
intervening  land  being  then  mostly  devoted  to 
farming.  This  location  has  proved  to  be,  in  many 
respects,  one  of  the  finest  among  New  England 
schools. 

As  soon  as  this  site  was  secured,  it  became 
important  that  Mr.  Cheney  should  remove  to 
Lewiston.  During  the  two  and  a  half  years  since 
his  "  vision  "  of  duty  had  changed  his  life-purpose, 
he  had  continued  his  work  as  pastor  of  the 
Augusta  church,  reporting  for  The  Morning  Star, 
baptisms,  interesting  prayer-meetings,  "good 
times  "  in  receiving  new  members,  and  other  signs 
of  healthy  church  work.  But  he  now  felt  that  his 
best  energies  must  be  devoted  to  the  school,  and 
accordingly  sent  in  his  resignation.  The  church 
voted  not  to  accept  it,  and  only,  when  he  repeated 
and  sadly  insisted,  did  they  release  him.  We  find 
him  soon  after,  early  in  1856,  located  in  Lewiston 
near  the  Seminary  grounds. 

The  money  thus  far  donated  for  the  school  had 
been  in  comparatively  small  sums.  As  the  success 
of  such  an  enterprise  must  be  dependent  on  some 
large  gifts,  Mr.  Cheney  was  overjoyed,  when  in 
the  spring  of  1856,  he  was  invited  to  call  on  Seth 
Hathorn  of  Woolwich,  Maine,  and  was  informed 
by  him  and  his  wife,  Mary,  that  they  proposed  to 
make  a  liberal  donation  to  the  school. 

Mrs.  Hathorn  said,  "  I   have  been   hoping  and 


96  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

praying  that  God  would  open  the  way  for  a  portion 
of  our  property  to  be  disposed  of  where  it  would 
do  good  after  our  death.  I  believe  the  Lord  sent 
you  here." 

Encouraged  by  their  promise  of  at  least  five 
thousand  dollars,  Mr.  Cheney  soon  made  arrange- 
ments for  erecting  a  building,  to  be  named 
Hathorn  Hall,  in  honor  of  these  generous  donors  ; 
and  on  June  26th,  1856,  the  corner-stone  of  Maine 
State  Seminary  was  laid  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies. This  was  a  gala  day  for  Lewiston.  We 
quote  from  an  address  by  President  Cheney : 

"  The  people  assembled  by  thousands,  and 
a  very  large  procession  composed  of  the 
trustees,  clergymen,  in  and  out  of  town, 
directors  of  the  Franklin  Company,  fire  com- 
panies of  the  village,  teachers  and  children 
of  the  public  schools  and  many  citizens, 
marched  to  the  seminary  grounds  under  the 
marshalship  of  Capt.  A.  H.  Kelsey  of  Lewis- 
ton,  and  led  by  the  music  of  two  brass  bands 
of  the  village.  Rev.  Benjamin  Thome,  a 
venerable  father  of  the  Free  Baptist  ministry, 
offered  the  prayer  of  invocation,  and  Rev. 
George  Knox,  standing  upon  the  stone, 
offered  the  consecrating  prayer.  Rev.  Mar- 
tin J.  Steere  delivered  the  oration,  and  Hon. 
C.  W.  Goddard  and  Rev.  John  Stevens  made 
addresses.  It  was  made  my  duty  to  lay  the 
stone.  A  beautiful  metallic  box,  presented 
by  Mr.  John  Goss,  and  containing  the  charter 
and  various  other  papers,  was  deposited  in 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  97 

the  stone.     The  following  ode,  composed  by 
Mrs.  V.  G.  Ramsey,  was  sung : 

We  come  with  joy,  we  come  with  prayer, 

And  lay  this  consecrated  stone ; 
O  thou,  who  with  a  Father's  care 
Hast  watched  the  work  our  hands  have  done, 
Bless  us,  and  let  thy  richest  grace 
Descend  henceforth  upon  this  place. 

We  come  not  here  to  rear  a  pile 

With  columns  fair  and  turrets  high, 

To  win  the  world's  approving  smile, 
With  Eastern  art  and  wealth  to  vie; 
Far  other  thoughts  our  hearts  control, 
Far  other  wishes  fill  our  soul. 

The  massive  walls  of  brick  and  stone, 

Which  here  may  rise  are  not  our  care ; 
When  busy  hands  their  work  have  done, 
And  there  shall  stand  a  structure  fair, 
Then  shall  our  care  and  toil  begin, 
A  greater  triumph  yet  to  win. 

Here  will  we  mold,  refine  and  carve 

Those  living  stones,  which,  borne  on  high, 
The  mighty  Architect  shall  use 
To  build  a  temple  in  the  sky, 

Whose  matchless  glory  fitteth  well 
The  place  where  Jesus  deigns  to  dwell. 

Those  living  stones — not  diamonds  bright 

Compare  with  them,  nor  pearls,  nor  gold. 
If  we  but  do  the  work  aright, 
These  precious  stones  to  carve  and  mold, 
Angels  will  watch  o'er  us  with  joy 
And  almost  envy  our  employ. 

President  Cheney's  political  relations  with  Hon. 
Charles  Sumner,  member  of  Congress,  from 
Massachusetts,  made  him  feel  free  to  request  a 
motto  for  the  new  Institute.  The  following  is  the 
reply  received  : 


98  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

WASHINGTON,  Dec.  u,  1857. 
My  Dear  Sir  : 

Amore  ac  Studio.*  I  cannot  send 
anything  better  than  these  words  for  the  seal  of 
your  Institution.  I  once  thought  to  have  them 
cut  on  a  seal  of  my  own,  but  did  not. 

But  I  doubt  not  you  will  be  able  to  devise 
something  better  than  anything  I  can  suggest. 
Accept  my  thanks  for  the  kindness  of  your  com- 
munication, and  believe  me,  dear  sir, 

Faithfully  yours, 

CHARLES  SUMNER. 

He  evidently  kept  the  motto  in  mind  as  evi- 
denced by  the  reference  to  it  in  the  following 
letter,  written  four  years  later  : 

BOSTON,  1 7th  Nov.,  '61. 
My  Dear  Sir : 

I  have  indulged  the  hope  of  mak- 
ing a  visit  to  Bangor  this  season,  with  a  stop  at 
Lewiston,  but  it  is  now  too  late.  All  my  time 
until  I  leave  for  Washington  is  now  mortgaged. 

Accept  my  best  wishes  for  your  good  and  use- 
ful Institute. 

If  it  should  continue  to  be  inspired  by  its 
motto — as  I  doubt  not — it  will  be  a  fountain  to 
the  state. 

Faithfully  yours, 

CHARLES  SUMNER. 
O.  B.  CHENEY. 


*  Amore  ac  Studio  may  be  translated  "with  ardent  zeal 
for  study." 


trf\jc**^ 


A~      <7VU- 


GENERAL  CONFERENCE  IN  MAINE- 
VILLE,  OHIO 

POLITICAL  EXCITEMENT 
STIRRING  INCIDENTS 

PLANS    FOR    RAISING  MONEY    FOR   THE 
SEMINARY 

CHILDREN'S  OFFERING 


IX 

In  October,  1856,  Mr.  Cheney  was  a  member 
of  the  Free  Baptist  General  Conference,  held  in 
Maineville,  Ohio.  He  had  resigned  his  position 
as  Recording  Secretary  of  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Society,  but  retained  that  of  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary of  the  Kducation  Society.  In  connection 
with  the  duties  of  this  position  some  perplexities 
arose  in  connection  with  the  dual  work  of  raising 
money  for  the  Biblical  School  and  Maine  State 
Seminary,  the  adjustment  of  which  was  helped  by 
his  attendance  at  this  General  Conference. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  the  country  was  in  a  fever 
heat  of  excitement  because  of  the  approaching 
presidential  election  in  November,  and  especially 
on  account  of  the  nomination  for  the  presidency 
of  John  C.  Fremont,  as  candidate  of  the  newly 
formed  Republican  party.  To  this  party  Mr. 
Cheney  had  transferred  the  warm  allegiance  that 
he  had  previously  given  to  the  Free  Soil  party. 
This  was  also  true  of  a  majority  of  the  members 
of  the  General  Conference,  and  the  session  thrilled 
with  the  spirit  of  the  time.  At  its  close  an  open- 
air  meeting  was  held  in  the  interest  of  Fremont 
and  Dayton,  ably  addressed  by  Rev.  E.  Knowlton 
and  others. 

Mr.  Cheney  had  a  notable  liking  for  visiting 
spots  associated' with  the  birth,  death,  or  noted 


104  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

action  of  prominent  individuals  ;  and  at  the  close 
of  the  meetings,  with  four  other  delegates,  he  made 
a  trip  to  some  places  of  note  in  Kentucky.  While 
they  were  in  Lexington,  a  brother  of  a  Maine  Con- 
gressman, then  residing  there,  came  to  their  hotel 
and  uttered  words  of  warning.  He  said  : 

"  Do  you  know  that  you  are  objects  of  sus- 
picion ?  Your  presence  is  making  much  talk. 
If  it  becomes  known  that  you  are  abolition- 
ists, your  lives  will  be  in  danger.  You  must 
move  with  great  caution." 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  the  warning 
was  heeded.  Rev.  Silas  Curtis — one  of  the  com- 
pany— was  noted  for  the  fervor  of  his  prayers  for 
the  slaves ;  but  it  was  noticeable  that,  when  they 
gathered  for  an  evening  service  before  separating 
for  the  night,  he  failed  to  mention  his  "  brothers 
in  black."  This  was  for  years  after  a  source  of 
merriment  among  these  friends. 

After  they  had  boarded  the  cars  to  return,  a 
Kentuckian  came  through  the  train,  canvassing 
for  votes  for  President.  When  he  came  to  the 
five  delegates,  Mr.  Cheney  said,  speaking  for 
them,  "  We  are  clergymen,  who  have  just  attended 
a  religious  meeting  in  Ohio  and  have  taken  this 
opportunity  to  visit  the  grave  of  Henry  Clay,  to 
call  on  his  widow  and  have  also  been  to  the  home 
of  Breckenridge.*  We  are  strangers  and  do  not 

*  John  C.  Breckenridge  was  the  democratic  candidate  for 
Vice-President. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  105 

care  to  vote."  "  Oh,  yes,  vote  !  "  was  the  man's 
earnest  rejoinder.  Then  Mr.  Cheney  looked  him 
steadily  in  the  eye,  and  asked, 

"  Do  you  want  us  to  tell  you  honestly  how  we 
are  going  to  vote  ?" 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  then,  my  vote  will  be  cast  for  Fremont 
and  Dayton."  The  others  said  the  same.  Al- 
though their  five  votes  were  the  only  ones  cast  for 
the  Republican  candidates,  their  quiet,  gentle- 
manly manner  was  respected  and  the  man  passed 
on  without  comment.  But  it  is  easy  to  under- 
stand that  our  travelers  felt  more  comfortable 
after  they  had  safely  crossed  the  Ohio  river.  At 
any  rate  they  tossed  up  their  hats  and  otherwise 
showed  that  the  most  dignified  men  have  a  good 
deal  of  the  spirit  of  a  boy  left  in  them. 

PLANS    FOR    RAISING    MONEY 

These  episodes  in  Mr.  Cheney's  life  formed  a 
valuable  safety-valve  to  an  intense  nature.  He 
returned  home  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  a  very 
busy  year  and  now  turned  his  energies  towards 
advancing  the  interests  of  the  Seminary  with  the 
hope  of  opening  the  school  the  next  fall.  This 
included  raising  money  by  personal  solicitation 
and  correspondence,  keeping  the  Seminary  in- 
terests before  the  public  through  articles  in  the 
papers  and  presentation  at  Quarterly  and  Yearly 
Meetings,  arranging  for  securing  suitable  teachers 


106  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

and  planning  the  necessary  equipment  for  the 
branches  to  be  taught,  and  finally  in  having  a 
general  oversight  of  the  erection  of  Hathorn  Hall 
and  another  building  then  called  the  Boarding 
Hall,  but  which  was  eventually  named  Parker 
Hall  in  honor  of  Judge  Thomas  Parker  of  Farm- 
ington,  Maine,  who  gave  five  thousand  dollars 
towards  its  erection. 

One  of  his  shrewdest  moves  for  raising  money 
for  the  Seminary,  during  this  year,  was  through  a 
call  for  an  offering  of  one  dollar  each  from  the 
children  in  Sunday  schools  and  elsewhere.  Fol- 
lowing Mr.  Cheney's  appeal,  through  the  Seminary 
Advocate  and  Morning  Star,  a  wide-spread  interest 
was  created,  which  proved  to  be  of  three-fold 
value : — boys  and  girls  became  interested  in  the 
Seminary  through  giving  money  for  it,  parents 
had  their  attention  called  to  it  through  their 
children,  and  the  financial  aid  was  considerable. 
The  following  letters  illustrate  the  far-reaching 
influence  of  the  movement : 

MR.  CHENEY 

Dear  Sir 

please  except  my  donation  for 
the  Semenary. 

M.  E.  C. 

7  years  old 

MR.  CHENEY         Dear  Sir, 

I  am  five  years  old  today ;  and  I 
am  going  to  send  you  one  dollar  to  help  build  the 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  107 

Maine  State  Seminary,  and  I  hope  I  shall  some- 
time come  there  to  school. 

Yours,  O.  W.  D. 

Written  with  father's  hand. 

MR.  CHENEY 

I  have  just  been  reading  your  piece 
in  the  Star  and  thought  I  would  send  you  my 
dollar  It  seems  very  small  but  my  sister  says 
that  the  great  Ocean  is  made  of  little  drops  I 
intend  to  go  to  Lewiston  to  school  I  am  eleven 
years  old  My  little  cousin  D  B  C  wishes  me  to 
enclose  a  dollar  for  him. 

S.  A.  C. 

MR.  CHENEY 

Dear  Sir 

I  am  a  little  girl  of  eight 

years  old,  and  sister  Em  Six — We  send  you  one 
dollar  each  which  we  have  earned  drying  apples 
as  the  Child  offaring  for  Maine  State  Seminary — 
and  hope  that  when  we  are  older  we  may  go  there 
to  school  father  sends  one  dollar  each  for  little 
Sister  M  E  and  H  P 

A.  M.  H. 
E.  S.  H. 

MR.  CHENEY, 

Dear  Sir, 

Enclosed,  please  find  two 

dollars  for  the  benefit  of  the  Maine  State  Semi- 
nary, one  of  which  I  earned  myself,  and  the  other 
is  from  my  sister,  A.  M.  T.,  who  is  four  years  old. 
I  an  eleven  years  old  and  hope  to  be  a  student  in 
your  school  at  some  future  time 

I  am  your  young  And  humble  servant, 
H.  M.  T. 


108  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Many  of  the  children,  who  thus  early  became 
interested  in  the  school,  were  afterward  among  its 
best  scholars  and  later  its  staunch  supporters. 

When  we  remember  that  in  giving  up  his 
Augusta  pastorate  Mr.  Cheney  cut  himself  off 
from  any  means  of  support,  we  can  appreciate 
something  of  his  circumstances  during  his  first 
year  in  Lewiston,  as  referred  to  in  a  letter  from 
Rev.  E.  Knowlton,  who  says  in  objecting  to  Mr. 
Cheney's  taking  boarders :  "  Reinember  you  can- 
not do  everything  and  your  wife  cannot  bear 
everything. 

"As  to  your  expenses  while  you  have  been  build- 
ing, you  shall  be  made  whole,  if  my  feeble 
influence  can  effect  it.  You  have  had  a  good  deal 
to  do,  a  good  deal  to  bear  and  a  good  deal  to 
sacrifice,  and  I  appreciate,  my  dear  brother,  what 
you  have  done.  Men  generally  will  not  thank 
you,  but  your  reward  is  sure.  When  you  are  in 
heaven,  your  labors  will  live,  live,  live  and  work 
for  God  and  humanity.  Yes,  they  will.  And  I 
almost  think  that,  after  all,  your  labors  and  sacri- 
fices taken  in  connection  with  your  gifts  and  your 
smiling  face  are  enviable." 

We  obtain  a  view  of  conditions  attending  the 
embryo  school  in  the  summer  of  1857  through 
extracts  from  an  article  published  by  Mr.  Cheney 
in  the  Star  of  June  22nd  : 

"  The  Trustees  desire,  as  best  they  can,  to 
meet  the  public  demand  for  the  opening  of 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  109 

the  school  in  the  fall.  They  are  aware  that 
the  circumstances  are  not  all  that  could  be 
desired ;  but  think  proper  to  commence  the 
school  and  to  push  forward  the  work  of  finish- 
ing the  buildings  as  fast  as  the  necessary 
means  can  be  secured.  The  outside  of  the 
centre  building — Hathorn  Hall — was  com- 
pleted last  year.  The  inside,  or  such  portion 
of  it  as  it  is  proposed  to  occupy  for  the 
present,  is  being  plastered  and  will  be  painted 
and  dried  in  season  for  the  opening  term. 
The  outside  of  the  Boarding  Hall  is  nearly 
completed  and  it  is  hoped  that  at  least  the 
ladies'  section  will  be  in  readiness  for  the 
winter  term.  Students  who  come  may  or 
may  not  be  disappointed. 

"  No  special  promises  or  pledges  are  made. 
Our  first  students  must  make  up  their  minds 
beforehand  to  find  things  in  an  unfinished 
state.  But,  generally,  it  is  with  institutions 
of  all  kinds  as  with  children — first  creep,  then 
walk.  All  we  can  say  to  our  young  friends 
is  that  we  promise  to  do  what  is  in  our  power 
to  make  easy,  what  is  hard — smooth,  what  is 

rough Though   God   has  most 

signally  owned  and  favored  the  enterprise, 
yet  it  has  been  attended  by  trials  and  sacri- 
fices all  the  way.  If  then,  young  men  and 
women  shall  be  ready  to  come  and  share  in 
sacrificing  with  the  scores  and  hundreds  who 
have  the  institution  dearly  at  heart,  in  behalf 
of  these  friends,  we  bid  them  a  most  hearty 
welcome.  They  can  certainly  have  one  thing 
to  remember,  and  that  is  that  they  were  with 
the  institution  in  its  early  struggles  and 
sacrifices." 


110  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

And  there  have  seldom  gathered  anywhere  a 
better,  truer,  braver  company  of  young  people 
than  responded  to  these  conditional  appeals  dur- 
ing the  opening  year. 


OPENING    OF    MAINE  STATE    SEMINARY 

FIRST  YEAR'S  SUCCESS 

FINANCIAL  PANIC 

BRIGHTER  DAYS 


On  September  ist,  1857,  the  school  opened  with 
one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  students  and  a  corps 
of  six  teachers,  O.  B.  Cheney,  Principal.  In 
addition  to  being  a  good  instructor  Mr.  Cheney 
possessed  other  elements  of  a  successful  teacher, 
dignity  of  manner,  a  commanding  presence  and  a 
kindly,  sympathetic  expression  of  countenance. 
He  was  a  natural  leader  and  his  years  of  experi- 
ence in  teaching  had  fitted  him  so  to  manage 
young  people,  as  to  win  their  confidence  and 
inspire  them  to  do  their  best.  His  own  ideals 
were  high  and  they  made  their  impress. 

The  other  teachers  were  Prof.  G.  H.  Ricker, 
Rev.  J.  A.  Lowell,  Miss  R.  J.  Symonds,  Precep- 
tress, and  Misses  J.  W.  Hoyt  and  M.  R.  Cushman, 
assistants,  with  Dr.  Alonzo  Garcelon  as  lect- 
urer upon  physiology  and  hygiene.  They  had 
been  wisely  selected  and  their  ministrations  gave 
the  school  character  and  influence  from  the 
beginning. 

Three  hundred  and  fifty-one  students  were  in 
attendance  during  the  first  school  year,  a  large 
majority  of  whom  were  there  with  the  sincere 
purpose  of  fitting  themselves  for  the  best  possible 
manhood  and  womanhood.  Of  the  work  done  it 
was  said  at  the  close  of  the  year : 


114  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

11  Thus  has  passed  the  first  anniversary  of 
Maine  State  Seminary,  much  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  Board  of  Instruction,  the 
Trustees,  the  donors  to  the  Institution  and 
the  public  at  large." 

Another  writer  says : 

"  The  Principal,  O.  B.  Cheney,  presided 
with  admirable  grace  and  dignity." 

The  Trustees'  report  was  very  commendatory 
of  the  work  of  the  teachers.  Among  the  speakers 
at  the  anniversary  dinner  were  Nelson  Dingley, 
•editor  of  the  Lewiston  Journal — later  so  well 
known  for  his  work  in  the  United  States  House 
of  Representatives,  and  Prof.  Cilley  of  Bowdoin 
College.  The  latter  complimented  the  anniversary 
exercises  by  saying : 

"  Maine  State  Seminary,  although  in  its 
infancy,  has  this  day  shown  the  strength  and 
manhood  of  maturity." 

Thus,  during  its  first  year,  the  school  took  a 
position  of  honor  among  institutions  of  its  kind 
in  the  country  and  this  position  it  has  ever  since 
retained,  for  the  elements  of  success  which  then 
attended  and  placed  their  stamp  upon  it  have 
continued  to  characterize  its  life  as  a  college. 

FINANCIAL    PANIC 

While  there  was  so  much  sunshine  on  one  side 
of  Mr.  Cheney's  life  during  this  school  year,  over 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  115 

another  side  the  clouds  hung  heavily.  During 
the  years  1857  and  1858  our  country  suffered 
from  a  serious  and  wide-spread  financial  panic. 
Well  established  businesses  were  severely  strained. 
Well  founded  institutions  suffered.  How  much 
more  severe  then  was  the  trial  to  a  corporation 
like  that  of  Maine  State  Seminary,  that  had  not 
had  time  to  establish  itself  on  secure  foundations  ! 
At  the  time  of  extreme  tension,  Mr.  Cheney  wrote 
of  the  perplexing  conditions  resulting : 

"A  nation,  like  a  Christian,  lives  by  faith; 
and  by  faith  I  mean,  in  this  instance,  con- 
fidence of  man  in  man.  If  fire  had  attacked 
us,  we  could  have  stood  it,  but  the  smiting  of 
a  panic  who  can  bear  ?  .  .  .  .  Money  worth 
from  two  to  five  per  cent  a  month ;  little  for 
less  than  twelve  per  cent  per  year.  I  have 
some  four  thousand  dollars  of  bank  paper 
coming  due  very  soon.  I  have  not  a  dollar 
with  which  to  meet  this.  I  have  just  returned 
home  from  a  two  weeks'  tour  and  could 
neither  beg  nor  borrow  a  dollar  to  meet  this. 

"Last  Tuesday  evening  I  came  to  the 
deliberate  conclusion  to  advertise  my  house 
for  sale  and  if  I  could  find  a  purchaser,  to 
pay  first  my  own  debts,  and  all  notes  I  have 
signed,  and  then  pay  the  remainder  to  those 
friends  from  whom  I  have  borrowed  money 
for  the  Seminary,  but  who  have  not  my  sig- 
nature, to  the  last  dollar  I  am  worth 

I  have  said  that  I  would  go  down  with  Maine 
State  Seminary,  and  I  will  make  good  that 
pledge,  if  the  institution  fails.  My  own 


116  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

brothers  and  other  relatives  and  friends  pro- 
test, but  I  am  resolved — no  earthly  power 
can  change  my  purpose.  I  can  be  poor,  but 
no  man  shall  have  occasion  to  reproach  the 
cause  of  Christ  on  my  account,  if  I  can  help 
it.  I  can  have  a  conscience  void  of  offence 
towards  God  and  man  and  that  is  wealth 
enough  for  this  poor,  short  life." 

A  suggestive  side-light  is  thrown  upon  Mr. 
Cheney's  life  at  this  time  by  the  following  child's 
letter : 

MR.  CHENEY 

We  are  little  children  now  and  have 
but  little  money,  but  when  you  was  at  our  house 
and  we  saw  how  sick  you  was  and  how  hard  you 
had  to  work  to  get  money  to  build  the  Seminary, 
we  were  afraid  it  would  kill  you,  and  we  have 
taken  a  dollar  each  out  of  our  banks  to  send  to 
you.  We  want  to  go  to  the  school  when  we  are 
old  enough. 

Yours  with  much  love 

A.  L.  B. 

O.  V.  B. 

M.  F.  B. 

The  financial  prospect  was  indeed  dark,  but 
kind  words  of  encouragement  and  promises  of 
help  cheered  the  workers.  Confidence  in  Mr. 
Cheney  was  shown  in  many  ways,  one  of  which 
was  his  appointment  as  Treasurer  of  the  Seminary 
Corporation.  "  Nothing  succeeds  like  success," 
and  through  the  students  and  their  parents  and 
friends  the  Seminary  was  continually  adding  to 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  117 

its  staunch  supporters.  Burning  appeals  were 
printed  from  influential  ministers  and  other 
persons  of  prominence,  stating  the  situation  and 
pleading  for  help.  At  the  session  of  each  of  the 
three  Maine  Yearly  Meetings  it  was  voted  to 
render  aid  by  assessing  members  certain  amounts. 
When  the  question  was  asked  on  one  occasion, 

"  Shall  the  Seminary  fail  ?"  the  replies  were : 

"  No,  no,  no.     Never,  never,  never." 

"  Is  it  worth  saving  ?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes,"  was  the  response. 

The  help  received  through  these  and  other 
influences  proved  sufficient  to  tide  over  the  crisis ; 
and  during  the  years  1858  and  1859  the  debt  of 
$24,000  was  paid. 

BRIGHTER    DAYS 

The  school  year,  1859-1860,  was  the  third  from 
the  opening  of  the  Seminary.  Let  us  try  to  obtain 
a  bird's-eye  view  of  it  at  that  stage  of  develop- 
ment. Hathorn  and  Parker  Halls  were  completed 
and  furnished  with  needful  apparatus  and  appli- 
ances. The  courses  of  study  were  well  denned 
and  suited  to  scholars  of  different  grades  and 
purposes  in  life.  Classical,  scientific,  and  nor- 
mal diplomas  were  given  for  the  respective 
courses.  Three  literary  societies  were  in  active 
operation, — the  Literary  Fraternity,  Philomathean 
and  Ladies'  Athenaeum.  In  September,  1858,  a 
Christian  Union  had  been  organized,  with  the 


118  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

double  purpose  of  developing  Christian  lives  and 
turning  attention  of  students  to  the  Christian 
ministry. 

In  March  of  the  same  year  a  Temperance 
Association  had  been  formed.  This  introduced 
no  new  principle  into  the  school,  for,  from  its 
opening,  all  entering  students  had  been  obliged 
to  promise  that,  during  their  school  course,  they 
would  abstain  from  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  ; 
and  the  use  of  tobacco  was  not  allowed  on  the 
school  premises. 

In  March,  1860,  the  Phillips  Missionary  Associ- 
ation was  organized  and  named  in  honor  of  the 
Phillips  family,  so  many  members  of  which  have 
been  highly-valued  Free  Baptist  missionaries  in 
India,  and  the  most  brilliant  of  whom  was  the 
well  known  and  much  lamented  James  L.  Phillips, 
D.D.,  Sunday  School  Missionary  for  India. 

The  religious  influence  in  the  school  was  strong 
and  constant.  Among  the  entries  in  Mr.  Cheney's 
diary  in  1860  are  these  : 

"We  had  an  excellent  prayer-meeting  this  morn- 
ing. One  young  man  prayed  for  the  first  time." 

"  Good  prayer-meeting.     Ten  rose  for  prayers." 

"Visited  several  students  and  conversed  with 
them  on  religion." 

Of  the  method  of  management  of  the  school, 
Mr.  Cheney  wrote  at  this  time :  "  The  discipline 
of  the  Seminary  is  on  the  model  of  some  of  the 
best  Institutions  in  the  country, — the  school  being 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  119 

regarded  as  a  family  and  the  great  law  of  love 
recognized  as  the  governing  rule.  Private  as  well 
as  public  appeals  are  made  to  the  consciences  of 
the  students  and  severe  measures  will  only  be 
resorted  to  when  such  appeals  fail." 

Arrangements  had  been  made  by  which  it  was 
possible  for  persevering  students  to  teach  winter 
schools  and  continue  with  their  classes.  Those 
needing  to  live  economically  found  every  pro- 
vision to  aid  them  in  boarding-hall  and  homes. 
More  than  one  thousand  different  students  had 
already  availed  themselves  of  these  educational 
opportunities  and  many  are  the  testimonies  as  to 
the  bright,  happy  life  in  the  school. 

Rev.  G.  T.  Day,  D.D.,  a  prominent  Free  Baptist 
pastor  in  Rhode  Island,  and  for  several  years  an 
influential  member  of  the  Providence  School  Com- 
mittee, was  at  this  time  Chairman  of  the  Examin- 
ing Committee  for  the  Seminary.  After  a  visit  to 
the  school  he  writes  for  the  Morning  Star  a  glow- 
ing description  of  its  situation,  buildings  and 
activities,  speaks  enthusiastically  of  its  future 
prospects  and  in  closing,  says : 

"Of  the  Principal,  who  was  not  at  home,  it 
were  superfluous  to  say  anything,  for  his  plans 
and  purposes,  his  patience  and  perseverance,  his 
zeal  and  self-devotion,  his  trials  and  successes — 
are  they  not  written  on  the  hearts  of  ten  thousand 
of  his  brethren  and  laid  up  safely  in  the  archives 
of  a  grateful  memory  !" 


120  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

This  epitome  of  the  Institution's  life  may  be 
understood  to  cover  all  the  years  of  the  Seminary's 
existence  and  to  characterize  in  no  small  degree 


What  reason  was  there  now  why  Mr.  Cheney 
might  not  comfortably  occupy  the  position  of 
Principal  of  the  Institution,  so  largely  created 
by  his  efforts,  go  on  developing  it  to  its  highest 
efficiency  and  cease  his  earnest  struggle  for  some- 
thing hard  to  attain  ? 

His  position  in  the  ministry  still  brought  to 
him  many  opportunities  for  public  service,  not 
only  in  presenting  the  interests  of  the  Seminary, 
but  in  preaching  dedication,  installation,  and 
other  occasional  sermons.  During  vacations  and 
when  traveling  to  secure  funds  for  the  school,  he 
occupied  some  pulpit  nearly  every  Sunday.  He 
officiated  at  many  weddings.  His  home  was  a 
centre  of  hospitality ;  and  individuals  and  repre- 
sentatives of  churches  found  welcome  as  they 
came  to  him  for  consultation  in  times  of  perplexity 
or  trouble,  or  for  help  in  advancing  the  interests 
::'  humanity,  for  h«  mm  ;e-er:us,  not  :r.'.y  -.vith. 
his  sympathy  but  with  his  money. 

He  had  been  elected  presiding  officer  in  both 
Quarterly  and  Yearly  Meeting  sessions.  He  was 
also  member  of  a  committee  for  the  publication  of 
the  Free  Baptist  Quarter  fa  a  theological  magazine. 
Bat  was  he  satisfied?  The  answer  is  a  long  one. 
He  aimed  higher. 


CONTEMPORARY  EVENTS 

COLLEGE  NEEDED 
OPPOSITION  DEFINED 

BENJAMIN  E.  BATES  PROMISES  FIFTY 
THOUSAND  DOLLARS 

TRUSTEES  YOTE  IN  FAVOR  OF  A 
COLLEGE  CLASS 

PROFESSOR  J.  Y.  STANTON  ELECTED 
TEACHER 


XI 

Conditions  of  life  change  so  rapidly  that,  in 
order  rightly  to  view  the  succeeding  events,  we 
must  have  our  thought  in  harmony  with  the  ideas 
of  the  time  of  which  we  are  writing.  The  intense 
denominational  feeling  then  existing  led  people  of 
all  religious  beliefs  to  seek  to  keep  their  children 
within  their  own  religious  fold  by  sending  them 
to  their  own  schools.  Sharing  in  the  sentiment 
of  the  time,  Mr.  Cheney  was  trying  to  provide  for 
Free  Baptists  such  a  school  as  other  denomi- 
nations were  maintaining,  one  that  would  not 
only  develop  the  highest  character  in  individual 
students  and  thus  make  valuable  workers  for  God 
and  humanity,  but  also  one  that  through  them 
would  broaden  and  strengthen  the  denomination 
in  whose  faith  he  had  been  reared  and  which  he 
longed  to  help. 

When,  therefore,  in  1860  he  gave  the  graduating 
address  to  a  class  of  fifteen  young  men  who  were 
to  enter  college  and  realized  that  he  was  sending 
them  away  where  the  influences  would  not  promote 
their  helpfulness  to  his  own  denomination,  he  felt 
a  deep  concern  respecting  the  result  and  asked 
himself  whether  he  was  not  thwarting  his  own 
purpose. 

In  founding  the  school  Mr.  Cheney  probably 
did  not  have  a  fully  defined  purpose  to  make  it  a 


124  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

college,  but  rather  the  desire  to  have  a  school  of 
higher  grade  than  the  ordinary  Seminaries.  In 
the  working  out  of  the  plan  he  found  that  he  had 
no  facilities  for  giving  the  advanced  work,  which 
would  in  any  sense  take  the  place  of  a  college  edu- 
cation. Students  were  advised  by  influential 
ministers  to  go  directly  from  the  Seminary  to  the 
Biblical  School,  but  Mr.  Cheney  could  not  con- 
scientiously give  such  advice.  He  knew  too  well 
the  value  of  the  years  of  training  in  a  college 
course.  Therefore  perplexed,  but  seeking  light 
and  guidance,  he  pondered  over  the  matter  as  the 
months  went  by. 

A  bill  was  before  the  United  States  Congress, 
appropriating  money  to  Agricultural  Colleges. 
In  1859,  after  the  debt  on  Maine  State  Seminary 
was  paid,  Mr.  Cheney  carefully  considered  the 
advisability  of  so  changing  the  curriculum  as  to 
meet  the  requirements  for  securing  such  an  ap- 
propriation and  thus  to  attain  his  end  in  raising 
the  grade  of  the  school.  Through  Mr.  Cheney's 
influence  Benjamin  E.  Bates,  a  Boston  capitalist, 
with  large  manufacturing  interests  in  Lewiston, 
had  become  deeply  interested  in  the  school.  At 
first  Mr.  Bates  warmly  seconded  the  Agricultural 
College  movement ;  but  after  due  consideration 
the  idea  was  abandoned,  as  being  likely  to  thwart 
the  purpose  for  which  the  school  was  founded. 
But  the  need  of  a  college  became  continually  more 
evident. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  125 

In  the  fall  of  1861  a  number  of  students  pleaded 
with  Mr.  Cheney  to  arrange  for  a  Freshman  class. 
They  could  see  their  way  to  take  a  college  course 
only  by  continuing  the  economical  arrangement 
under  which  they  were  living.  Their  pleas  stirred 
him  deeply.  He  longed  to  help  them,  but  how  ? 
Where  would  he  find  sympathy  in  raising  money 
for  the  additional  teaching  force  required. 

In  the  following  October  he  gave  an  address 
before  the  Education  Society,  at  the  Free  Baptist 
Anniversaries,  held  in  Sutton,  Vermont.  While 
returning,  he  became  so  profoundly  impressed  that 
he  ought  to  respond  favorably  to  those  young 
men  that  he  was  oblivious  of  time  and  distance 
during  the  whole  journey.  But  great  events  were 
absorbing  the  thought  of  the  nation  and  Mr. 
Cheney  held  his  peace  and  waited  for  a  more 
opportune  time  to  impart  his  convictions  to 
others. 

CONTEMPORARY    EVENTS 

In  the  meantime  the  country  was  quivering 
with  excitement.  On  April  twelfth,  1861,  a  shot 
was  fired  upon  Fort  Sumter,  that  echoed  through- 
out the  land.  Young  men  from  the  Seminary 
began  to  respond  to  the  call  for  troops.  That 
Mr.  Cheney  himself  was  intensely  stirred  is  shown 
by  these  entries  in  his  diary : 

"The  freemen  of  the  north  are  ready.  Slavery 
must  die.  I  am  ready  to  die  for  freedom." 


126  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"  Young  men  requested  permission  to  raise  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  at  sunrise  tomorrow  morning 
from  the  top  of  the  Seminary.  Of  course  I  granted 
permission.  I  wish  they  would  cover  the  build- 
ings all  over  with  the  flag  of  my  country." 

"  Talked  with  young  men  and  urged  them  to  be 
true  to  their  country  and  to  give  their  hearts  to 
Christ." 

"  Lewiston  Light  Guards  called.  Made  a  speech 
to  them  from  the  steps  of  Parker  Hall ;  also  offered 
prayer.  Brought  out  lemonade." 

Several  entries  refer  to  the  performance  of  his 
duties  as  a  member  of  a  Safety  Committee.* 

As  the  weeks  passed,  the  excitement  attending 
the  Civil  War  became  more  and  more  intense  and 
Mr.  Cheney  could  not  keep  away  from  "  the  front." 
We  find  him,  during  a  part  of  the  summer  vacation 
of  1 86 1,  serving  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington,  as 
a  member  of  the  Christian  Commission,  distrib- 
uting tracts  and  supplies  and  visiting  and  com- 
forting the  soldiers.  A  few  extracts  from  notes  of 
this  brief  service  will  suffice  : 

"  Visited  Camp  Jackson.  The  Maine  boys  were 
glad  to  see  me." 

"Saw  Lincoln  today.  Called  with  the  Chaplains." 

*  The  excited  state  of  the  country  and  the  unsettled  con- 
ditions attending  the  absence  from  home  of  the  enlisted 
men  gave  courage  to  the  lawless  elements  in  Society  and 
their  depredations  led  to  the  organizing  of  Safety  Com- 
mittees in  nearly  all  cities,  for  the  purpose  of  aiding  the 
officials  in  maintaining  order  by  day  and  especially  at  night. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  127 

"Attended  meeting  at  Dr.  P's,  where  General 
Scott  worships.  Shook  hands  with  him." 

"Heard  of  our  defeat  (Bull  Run).  Rained  all 
day.  Thousands  of  soldiers  came  into  Washing- 
ton, many  straggling  in ; — a  sad  day,  but  God 
will  overrule  it." 

The  letters  which  Mr.  Cheney  afterwards 
received  from  the  soldier-boys  were  cherished 
during  his  lifetime. 

Before  the  opening  of  the  fall  term  the  Princi- 
pal was  back  at  his  post.  In  passing  through 
Boston  he  called  on  Mr.  Bates  and  secured  his 
promise  of  five  thousand  dollars  to  aid  in  build- 
ing another  Hall,  as  soon  as  the  times  would 
warrant. 

The  following  school  year  was  to  him  one  of 
mingled  interests.  His  country's  cause,  especially 
that  of  the  freedom  of  the  slaves,  lay  so  close  to 
his  heart  that  his  newspaper  articles  and  diary 
are  full  of  the  passing  events.  He  felt  so  fully 
assured  that  the  freedom  of  the  slaves  was  to  be 
the  ultimate  result  of  the  war,  that  he  grew  im- 
patient at  what  seemed  to  him  President  Lincoln's 
tardiness  in  proclaiming  their  emancipation,  and 
went  to  confer  with  the  editor  of  The  Morning 
Star,  as  to  the  desirability  of  sending  to  the 
President  a  Free  Baptist  memorial,  officially 
signed,  asking  for  immediate  emancipation. 

But  Mr.  Burr  replied  to  him,  "  Be  patient, 
Brother  Cheney.  President  Lincoln  knows  what 


128  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

he  is  about.  He  understands  all  the  circumstances 
better  than  we  do.  He  will  act  at  the  right  time. 
Trust  him  and  wait." 

President  Cheney  saw  that  the  editor  was 
probably  right  and  went  back  to  his  school  duties. 
He  was  teaching  six  classes,  attending  to  the 
usual  detail  of  school-work,  improving  the  campus 
by  grading  and  setting  out  trees,  and  all  the  while 
he  was  pondering  over  and  seeking  to  solve  the 
college  problem.  When  the  Trustees  met  in  1862, 
a  committee  of  students  came  before  them  and 
pleaded,  some  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  that  a 
college  course  be  provided,  and  Mr.  Cheney  moved 
that  their  request  be  granted,  but  it  was  voted 
down.  Of  the  result  Mr.  Cheney  writes : 

"At  this  time  I  awoke,  as  from  a  long 
sleep ;  I  felt  that  I  had  been  asleep,  that  the 
Trustees  were  asleep — that  the  denomination 
was  asleep  and  that  it  was  losing  many  of 
its  ablest  young  men.  I  decided  that  the 
time  had  come  for  me  to  take  a  firm  position 
and  publicly  agitate  the  matter.  Including 
the  class  then  on  my  hands,  I  had  fitted 
seventy-seven  young  men  for  college  in  five 
years.  'We  must  have  a  college,'  I  said,  'or 
in  fifty  years  we  shall  cease  to  exist  as  a 
denomination.'  As  if  a  trumpet  called  me,  I 
started  up.  I  believe  it  was  the  call  of  God. 
I  did  not  desire  to  enter  upon  this  work, — 
God  is  my  witness ;  I  knew  well  the  prej- 
udices and  the  cold  looks  and  the  hard 
thrusts  I  must  receive,  but  I  did  enter  upon 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  129 

it  for  Jesus'  sake  and  for  the  sake  of  the 
denomination  I  love." 

OPPOSITION    DEFINED 

In  order  correctly  to  apprehend  the  circum- 
stances that  attended  Mr.  Cheney's  efforts  during 
a  few  succeeding  years,  we  must  understand  some 
denominational  conditions  at  that  time.  Free 
Baptists  were  still  prominent  actors  in  the  great 
reforms.  Because  of  their  outspoken  position 
against  slavery,  they  were  often  taunted  as  "  Radi- 
cals" and  "Fanatics."  In  1839,  they  had  refused 
an  accession  of  twenty  thousand  Free  Communion 
Baptists  from  the  south,  because  there  were  slave 
holders  among  the  latter ;  and  from  that  time  on 
through  the  years  they  had  hesitated  at  no  sacri- 
fice required  by  a  position  consistent  with  their 
belief.  They  preferred  to  be  small  in  numbers 
and  true  to  their  convictions.  They  continued  to 
occupy  a  unique  position  both  in  regard  to 
woman's  work  in  the  church  and  in  favor  of  tem- 
perance. They  had  also  made  good  progress  in 
educational  matters.  They  now  had  twelve  incor- 
porated Seminaries  or  Academies  in  different 
states  and  a  college  in  Hillsdale,  Michigan.  The 
latter  was  in  a  flourishing  condition  and  was  an 
educational  centre  for  the  denomination  in  the 
western  and  middle  states. 

It  can  now  easily  be  seen  that  a  college  in  New 
England  was  just  what  was  then  needed  to  supply 


130  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

the  educational  advantages  for  denominational 
balance  and  development.  One  man  saw  it  then ; 
but  at  first  only  a  few  others.  Mr.  Cheney's  first 
experiences  in  advocating  the  college  interests  are 
illustrated  by  a  trip  into  New  Hampshire. 

"  Ten  years  too  soon,"  said  one. 

"  First  complete  the  endowment  of  the  Biblical 
School,"  said  others. 

"A  college  would  be  well  enough,  Brother 
Cheney,  but  where  is  the  money  coming  from  ?" 
said  a  Father  in  Israel  in  a  tone  that  showed  that 
the  question  was  settled  in  the  speaker's  mind. 

At  the  office  of  The  Morning  Star  only  oppo- 
sition was  met.  The  resident  editor  and  publisher 
was  a  shrewd  business  man  and  the  large  expense 
of  founding  a  College  was  quite  beyond  his  finan- 
cial vision.  Seeing  Mr.  Cheney's  keen  disap- 
pointment, he  said, 

"  I  don't  want  to  hurt  your  feelings,  Brother 
Cheney.  If  you  want  to  write  some  articles,  I 
will  print  them."  But  when  told  what  was  needed 
was  for  The  Morning  Star  to  favor  the  movement 
editorially,  he  said  positively  that  could  not  be. 
(Mr.  Cheney's  contributions  to  the  paper  then 
ceased  and  for  several  years  his  name  appeared 
only  in  connection  with  official  announcements.) 

In  the  meantime  a  few  leaders  in  Maine  were 
stirring  up  active  opposition,  and  for  a  time  Mr. 
Cheney  felt  as  though  he  were  all  alone  in  the 
world,  his  only  companion  a  great  purpose.  That 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  131 

the  opposition  was  local  did  not  make  it  any  the 
less  serious,  for  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  were 
really  the  key  to  the  situation.  The  denomi- 
nation having  originated  in  southern  New  Hamp- 
shire, it  was  stronger  in  those  states  than  else- 
where, both  numerically  and  in  influence.  Again, 
as  these  states  would  be  the  ones  most  largely 
benefited  by  having  the  college  near  home,  in- 
difference or  opposition  there  was  a  serious 
obstacle  to  interest  elsewhere. 

It  is  a  common  experience  in  life  that  people 
live  in  the  valley  of  their  special  interests  and 
fail  to  obtain  broad,  mountain-top  views.  This 
was  true  of  those  who  were  so  absorbed  in  the 
interests  of  the  Biblical  School  that  they  failed  to 
see  the  need  of  the  College  link  between  that  and 
the  preparatory  schools.  It  was  not  opposition  to 
education,  so  much  as  lack  of  foresight  and  con- 
sciousness of  present  need.  This  would  have 
been  steadily  and  rapidly  overcome,  however,  if  it 
had  not  been  for  the  course  pursued  by  a  very 
few  individuals. 

Goethe  says :  "  There  is  nothing  more  odious 
than  the  majority.  It  consists  of  a  few  powerful 
men  to  lead  the  way ;  and  of  a  mass  of  men  who 
trot  after  them  without  in  the  least  knowing 
their  own  mind."  This  is  a  strong  utterance  as 
applied  to  this  case,  but  it  is  without  doubt  true 
that  if  a  few  leaders  in  thought  who  opposed  had 
sought  to  bring  to  the  people  the  needs  of  the 


132  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

hour  and  inspire  them  with  the  purpose  to  meet 
them,  the  immediate  result  would  have  been  that 
much  misunderstanding  would  have  been  pre- 
vented, a  great  deal  of  help  would  have  been  given 
that  was  withheld,  President  Cheney  would  have 
been  spared  keen  suffering  and  the  reproach  of  op- 
position would  have  been  saved.  But  Mr.  Cheney 
had  his  eyes  too  steadily  fixed  on  the  goal  to  be 
swerved  from  his  purpose ;  and  when  his  friends 
asked,  "  What  can  you  do  in  the  face  of  so  much 
opposition  ?"  his  reply  in  effect  was :  "  Sail  on, 
sail  on,  and  on  and  on." 

And  he  kept  steadily  at  work,  with  the  result 
that  with  better  knowledge  of  the  movement,  its 
purpose  and  the  need,  friends  began  to  rally  to 
his  support. 

It  was  especially  encouraging  that  at  this  time 
Benjamin  E.  Bates  became  the  staunch  friend  of 
the  College  movement.  With  fine  foresight  and 
hearty  appreciation  of  Mr.  Cheney's  plans  he 
promised  to  give  fifty  thousand  dollars  towards  a 
college  on  condition  that  fifty  thousand  more 
could  be  raised.  Thus  encouraged  and  knowing 
of  the  rapidly  changing  feeling  on  the  part  of 
several  of  the  Trustees,  Mr.  Cheney  promised 
the  students  that  a  Freshman  class  should  be 
formed  in  the  fall. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  133 

PROF.    J.    V.    STANTON  BECOMES  TEACHER 

It  now  seemed  a  matter  of  great  importance  to 
him  that  the  right  kind  of  teacher  be  secured  to 
aid  in  starting  the  college  work.  Down  through 
the  years  Mr.  Cheney  had  retained  a  pleasant 
memory  of  the  bright  little  boy  to  whom  he  taught 
Latin  in  his  Lebanon  school,  and,  knowing  of  his 
later  success,  his  purpose  was  formed,  if  possible, 
to  secure  "  Johnnie "  as  his  assistant.  Of  the 
circumstances  Prof.  J.  Y.  Stanton  says : 

"  In  the  spring  of  1863,  President  Cheney 
visited  me  at  Drury,  New  Hampshire,  when  I 
was  Principal  of  Pinkerton  Academy.  He 
proposed  that  I  should  be  the  Professor  of 
Latin  in  the  new  college.  The  salary  was  to 
be  $800.  Without  any  hesitation  I  told  him 
if  I  were  elected  I  would  accept.  I  was  con- 
fident that  President  Cheney  could  found  a 
college  and  I  wished  to  have  a  part  in  it.  I 
was  elected  by  the  Trustees  in  1863,  but  did 
not  enter  upon  the  duties  of  my  professorship 
until  1864,  when  General  Grant  was  pressing 
on  towards  Richmond  and  when  the  country 
was  in  the  midst  of  the  political  campaign 
that  ended  in  the  second  election  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln." 

There  were  other  candidates  for  the  position, 
whose  interests  were  urged  by  influential  friends, 
but  President  Cheney  was  so  sure  that  Professor 
Stanton  was  the  right  man  that  he  worked 


134  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

earnestly  to  have  the  Trustees  elect  him.  The 
life-work  of  usefulness  that  has  followed  has  shown 
the  wisdom  of  the  choice. 

When  the  Trustees  met  in  1863,  some  influence 
had  so  wrought  upon  them  that  they  accepted  Mr. 
Bates's  offer,  voted  to  establish  a  course  of  collegi- 
ate study,  petitioned  the  Legislature  for  an 
enlarged  charter, — changing  the  name  to  Bates 
College,  in  honor  of  its  generous  patron,  and 
elected  Jonathan  Y.  Stanton  professor  of  Latin 
and  Greek.  An  anonymous  letter  purporting  to 
come  from  the  wife  of  a  clergyman,  attacking  Mr. 
Cheney  because  he  wished  to  change  the  Seminary 
to  a  College,  was  voted  unworthy  of  notice.  This 
forward  movement  of  the  Trustees  laid  a  solid 
foundation  on  which  to  build.  At  a  meeting  of 
the  Free  Baptist  General  Conference,  held  in 
Hillsdale  in  the  fall  of  1862,  the  College  move- 
ment had  been  denominationally  endorsed. 

But  opposition  to  any  movement  once  started 
is  like  the  rolling  snow-ball,  that  gathers  size  and 
momentum  in  its  progress.  The  increasing  num- 
ber of  the  friends  of  the  College  seemed  to  make 
the  opposers  more  determined.  Mr.  Cheney  was 
accused  of  dishonesty  in  diverting  money  that 
had  been  raised  for  a  Seminary  to  a  College.  A 
circular  was  printed  and  widely  distributed,  mak- 
ing this  formal  accusation.  As  a  result  of  this, 
one  Maine  Yearly  Meeting  passed  resolutions  of 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  135 

censure.*  A  report  was  circulated  that  Mr.  Bates 
had  never  promised  to  give  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
Going  to  his  office  one  day,  Mr.  Cheney  found 
him  feeling  very  indignant  at  the  reported  accusa- 
tion and  determined  to  withdraw  from  the  whole 
enterprise.  But  Mr.  Cheney  quietly  said  to  him  : 

"This  is  not  aimed  at  you,  Mr.  Bates.  It 
is  all  opposition  to  me.  There  are  but  few 
leaders  in  this  movement.  Our  people  as  a 
whole  do  not  realize  the  need  which  I  see ; 
neither  do  they  understand  enough  of  the 
plans  to  intelligently  judge  of  them.  What 
we  need  to  do  is  to  go  right  ahead,  paying  no 
attention  to  criticism,  and  in  due  time  they 
will  see  that  we  are  right  and  your  name  will 
be  highly  honored  for  your  foresight  and 
help." 

When  Mr.  Cheney  had  finished,  Mr.  Bates 
grasped  his  hand  and  said :  "  I  will  stand  by 
you,  Mr.  Cheney ;"  and  he  most  nobly  honored 
his  pledge. 

Now  came  the  task  of  raising  fifty  thousand 
dollars  with  which  to  meet  Mr.  Bates's  pledge, 
and  Mr.  Cheney  went  bravely  about  it.  Kind  and 
sympathetic  letters  came  to  encourage  him  of 
which  the  following  is  a  specimen  extract : 

"  I  would  do  anything  I  could  to  encourage  you 

*  Twenty  years  later,  when  a  large  majority  of  New  Eng- 
land Free  Baptist  pulpits  were  occupied  by  graduates  of 
Bates  College,  these  resolutions  were  expunged  from  the 
minutes  and  President  Cheney  was  informed  of  the  fact. 


136  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

and  aid  the  noble  enterprise  now  lying  on  your 
hands  and  heart.  Somehow  that  thing  must  go.  It 
seems  like  a  providential  summons  to  a  higher 
plane  of  denominational  life.  It  is  not  humility 
but  cowardice  to  abide  in  the  valley  when  He  bids 
us  to  go  higher.  Help  will  attend  our  dutiful 
response  to  this  call.  If  it  seems  presumption  to 
risk  such  an  undertaking,  I  believe  it  is  worse 
than  presumption  to  refuse  it.  A  failure  even 
amid  a  noble,  energetic  struggle  is  far  better  than 
an  indolent  consent  to  do  nothing.  God  be  with 
you  in  the  work. 

Yours  truly, 

GEO.  T.  DAY." 

Other  letters  written  with  the  acid  of  censure 
burned  into  his  soul.  One  day,  when  one  was 
received  that  was  especially  unkind,  Mrs.  Cheney 
said,  with  flashing  eyes, 

"Oren  Cheney,  if  you  don't  answer  that  I 
shall." 

"  But,"  he  replied,  "  of  what  use  would  it  be  ? 
I  am  still  in  a  minority.  The  majority  do  not  see 
the  results  to  be.  If  I  get  into  a  conflict,  the 
papers  will  take  it  up  and  bitter  discussions  will 
follow.  No,  the  only  course  for  me  is  to  keep 
steadily  at  work,  taking  no  notice  of  attacks  upon 
me  and  in  due  time  I  shall  be  exonerated  and 
Bates  College  will  need  no  excuse  for  existing." 

Not  one  letter  of  that  stamp  was  ever  answered. 
Most  of  them  were  at  once  destroyed.  In  one 
stray  one,  that  escaped  the  fire,  the  writer  refuses 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  137 

in  curt  language  to  accede  to  Mr.  Cheney's  request 
that  he  attend  a  meeting  and  use  his  influence  for 
the  college,  and  adds : 

"  Any  scheme  or  talk  about  a  college,  or  raising 
money  in  these  times,  is  all  nonsense  and  moon- 
shine. You  will  hardly  expect  me  to  go  sixty 
miles  for  nothing." 

Of  these  writers  President  Cheney  said : 

"  They  were  good  men.  They  had  been  among 
my  best  friends.  I  loved  them,  but  we  could  not 
see  alike." 

Probably  this  made  the  suffering  from  opposi- 
tion all  the  keener.  At  midnight  he  walked  the 
Chapel  aisles  and  struggled  with  his  feelings.  In 
a  sheltered  nook  in  a  grove  back  of  the  college 
buildings  he  often  sought  light  and  strength  from 
above.  Then  he  worked  "on  and  on  and  on." 


EARLY  COLLEGE  DAYS 

CO-EDUCATION 
INTERWOVEN  INCIDENTS 


XII 

In  1863  President  Cheney  was  honored  by  the 
conferring  upon  him  by  Wesleyan  University  of 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  This  was  a 
timely  expression  of  appreciation.  Whatever  of 
dignity  a  title  can  bestow  came  to  his  aid  in  his 
early  work  as  College  President. 

There  are  reasons  why  the  times  were  favorable 
to  founding  a  college.  Beginnings  are  necessarily 
small.  Under  any  circumstances  there  would  be 
few  students  in  the  first  classes.  The  continual 
enlistment  of  young  men  and  the  distraction  of 
thought  connected  with  the  Civil  War  had 
diminished  the  numbers  in  all  schools ;  therefore 
the  nucleus  of  a  college  at  Bates  attracted  less 
attention  than  it  would  have  received  under  other 
circumstances. 

The  year  1863  was  the  darkest  time  of  the  war. 
Then  came  the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  with 
its  prophecy  of  success.  In  the  same  month  when 
this  went  into  effect, — January,  1864,  the  changed 
charter  was  received  from  the  Maine  Legislature, 
conferring  college  privileges  and  rechristening  the 
institution  as  Bates  College.  This  was  accom- 
panied by  a  conditional  gift  from  the  state  to  the 
College  of  fifty-one  thousand  acres  of  land.  The 
foundation  work  for  the  College  was  thus  laid, 
when  the  thought  of  the  people  was  mainly 


144  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

directed  elsewhere,  and,  during  the  following  few 
years  of  national  disturbance,  there  was  a  steady 
development  in  college  plans,  preparatory  to  the 
time  when  life  should  again  flow  in  ordinary 
channels. 

The  action  of  the  Legislature,  above  referred  to, 
had  been  the  result  of  a  hard  struggle  on  Presi- 
dent Cheney's  part.  A  few  determined  opposers 
were  still  trying  to  thwart  his  plans.  Members  of 
the  Legislature  were  told :  "  Brother  Cheney  is 
honest  and  sincere,  but  he  will  fail  and  do  dis- 
credit to  himself  and  his  denomination."  When 
told  of  this,  President  Cheney  replied,  "  I  am 
determined  not  to  fail." 

GENERAL    ITEMS 

Prof.  Stanton  thus  pictures  for  us  the  College 
life  in  its  early  days : 

"On  my  arrival  I  found  in  the  College 
proper  a  Sophomore  class,  which  consisted 
of  eight  members  at  its  graduation,  and  a 
Freshman  class  of  five  members.  In  many 
western  Institutions  the  College  and  prepara- 
tory school  were  combined.  President 
Cheney  thought  at  first  that  this  could  be 
done  at  Bates.  But  within  a  year  he  saw 
that,  in  order  for  a  College  in  New  England 
to  be  a  success,  it  must  be  an  Institution  by 
itself.  In  this  view  all  his  associates  in  the 
Faculty  sympathized  with  him,  but  the 
Trustees  were  at  first  divided  in  opinion. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  145 

However,  in  a  short  time  all  was  harmoni- 
ously settled.  I  do  not  think  that  a  College 
President  ever  had  a  more  difficult  task  to 
perform,  all  requiring  great  courage,  firmness 
and  forbearance,  all  of  which  qualities  Dr. 
Cheney  possessed  in  a  marked  degree." 

In  settling  this  problem  President  Cheney  went 
on  the  principle  that  for  every  need  there  must  be 
a  supply.  Pittsfield  had  been  one  of  the  places 
originally  considered  for  the  location  of  the  Semi- 
nary. Mr.  Cheney  at  first  thought  that  the  best 
thing  to  do  was  to  remove  the  Seminary  depart- 
ment there,  and  in  order  to  test  the  feeling  of  the 
people  he  visited  the  place  and  found  the  senti- 
ment so  favorable  to  his  purpose  that  he  raised  in 
the  vicinity  twenty  thousand  dollars  for  carrying 
out  the  plan. 

But,  when  he  tested  further  the  feelings  of 
friends  of  the  College,  he  saw  that  another  course 
would  be  wiser.  The  result  was  that  the  money 
raised  at  Pittsfield  was  used  in  founding  there  the 
Maine  Central  Institute,  which  opened  for 
students  in  January,  1866,  having  as  Principal, 
the  first  graduate  of  Bates  College,  Arthur  Given, 
and  Dr.  Cheney  as  one  of  its  Trustees.  It  has 
continued  to  be  a  good  feeder  to  Bates  College 
and  is  a  school  whose  beneficent  life  has  been 
a  blessing  to  hundreds  of  young  people. 

At  Lewiston  arrangements  were  soon  made  to 


146  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

change  the  Seminary  department  to  a  preparatory 
school  for  the  College,  and  the  plan  culminated  in 
the  Latin  School. 

On  his  graduation  from  Bowdoin  College  in 
1863  Dr.  Cheney's  son,  Horace,  began  the  work 
of  founding  the  Bates  College  Library,  using,  to 
start  with,  a  gift  from  his  father  of  one  hundred 
dollars.  A  year  later  the  work  passed  into  Prof. 
Stanton's  hands. 

From  an  "  Appeal  to  the  Benevolent,"  published 
in  November  1864,  we  obtain  a  peep  at  other 
existing  conditions.  President  Cheney  says : 

"  The  number  of  students  in  attendance 
during  the  past  year  were  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five,  twenty-six  in  the  college  depart- 
ment. The  school  has  sent  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  of  its  young  men  to  the  war, 
many  of  them  never  to  return.  Bates  College 
is  not  standing  in  the  way  of  any  other  insti- 
tution, but  is  occupying  and  cultivating 
ground,  which  before  had  lain  waste.  The 
College  is  in  a  prosperous  condition  so  far  as 
its  means  will  allow  and  only  lacks  funds  for 
further  development." 

Among  the  honored  names  that  composed  the 
first  Bates  Board  of  Fellows,  we  find  those  of  Hon. 
Nelson  Dingley  and  Hon.  James  G.  Elaine ;  on 
each  of  whom  Bates  College  subsequently  con- 
ferred the  degree  of  LL.D. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  147 

CO-EDUCATION 

The  perplexity  of  starting  a  College  within  a 
Seminary  had  one  phase  not  yet  referred  to.  In 
the  class  ready  for  the  College  Freshman  year 
there  were  girls  as  well  as  boys — fine  scholars, 
ready  and  ambitious  to  go  on,  and  at  first  the 
boys  made  no  objection ;  but  the  ridicule  which 
they  had  to  endure  from  every  direction  made 
them  feel  that,  not  only  for  their  own  comfort 
would  it  be  best  for  the  girls  to  leave,  but  it 
seemed  to  their  boyish  minds  an  absolute  impossi- 
bility for  the  College  to  be  successfully  founded 
if  the  girls  remained. 

The  situation  was  gradually  disclosed  to  the 
young  women,  and  after  some  animated  discussions 
and  dignified  protests  all  of  them  withdrew,  leav- 
ing the  young  men,  as  was  supposed,  in  undis- 
turbed possession  of  the  field. 

However,  in  1865,  there  had  entered  Bates,  one 
young  woman  who  could  not  so  readily  relinquish 
the  hope  that  had  been  awakened  by  the  liberal 
charter  under  which  Bates  College  had  been 
founded.  In  spite  of  the  uncongenial  atmosphere 
in  which  she  found  herself,  in  spite  of  occasional 
slights  and  constant  ill-concealed  dissatisfaction 
with  her  presence,  she  persisted  in  claiming  and 
maintaining  her  right  to  the  opportunities  which 
broad-minded  men  had  gained  for  her. 

Her  unconquerable   determination   brought  to 


148  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

the  new  and  struggling  Institution  a  serious  prob- 
lem. Its  solution  was  not  without  many  difficul- 
ties. 

The  College  had  a  name  to  make,  a  reputation 
to  establish.  There  were  in  the  three  classes  more 
than  twenty  young  men.  How  would  they  like  to 
have  a  woman  graduate  as  their  equal  ?  Public 
sentiment  would  have  to  be  braved.  "Woman's 
Sphere "  had  very  positive  limitations  in  most 
minds.  "  Higher  education  for  woman  "  was  an 
unfamiliar  phrase.  Could  the  college  afford  to 
brave  the  criticisms  from  other  Institutions 
because  of  what  would  be  called  an  erratic  course  ? 
There  were  enough  slurring  remarks  already  in 
circulation  among  friends  of  other  Colleges  about 
"  Bates  Academy."  Ordinary  judgment  would 
decide  that,  in  order  for  the  College  to  be  a 
success,  it  must  conform  to  the  customs  of  other 
long  established  Institutions. 

On  the  other  hand  Dr.  Cheney  was  entirely 
ahead  of  his  time  in  his  ideas  as  to  woman's  God- 
given  freedom  to  do  anything  for  which  she  has 
the  ability,  and  freely  expressed  in  his  written 
articles  his  sympathy  with  her  work  in  reforms  of 
the  day.  The  school  was  permeated  with  the 
spirit  of  a  denomination,  which  had  never  refused 
a  worthy  woman  any  service  in  the  church, 
whether  it  was  a  part  in  the  prayer-meeting,  or 
ordination  to  the  Christian  ministry. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  149 

There  was  nothing  in  the  charter  that  inter- 
fered, for  in  changing  from  Maine  State  Semi- 
nary to  Bates  College  the  clause  was  retained 
making  the  Institution  open  to  young  men  and 
young  women. 

But  beyond  and  above  all  was  the  fact  that,  if  a 
woman  wanted  a  college  education,  there  was  no 
good  reason  for  refusing  her  the  opportunity  to 
secure  it.  There  could  be  no  personal  objection 
to  Mary  W.  Mitchell.  She  was  well  qualified  to 
enter  and,  if  character  were  to  be  considered,  a 
young  woman,  who  by  working  in  the  mill  had 
earned  money  to  pay  off  the  mortgage  on  her 
father's  farm  and  then  to  fit  herself  for  college, 
surely  showed  energy  and  ability  worthy  of  any 
development  she  desired. 

After  considering  all  the  arguments  on  both 
sides  of  this  important  question,  instead  of  the 
negative  reply  that  was  given  to  Mary  A.  Liver- 
more  by  a  New  England  College  President,  Mary 
W.  Mitchell  was  assured  that  she  was  in  Bates 
College  to  stay.  The  crisis  thus  forced  upon  the 
College  by  the  determination  of  this  young  woman 
was  squarely  met,  and  the  doors  thus  set  wide 
open  for  women  have  never  since  been  closed. 

Because  of  State  gifts  to  the  College,  the 
Governor  could  confer  scholarships  on  worthy 
students.  Desiring  to  help  so  brave  a  girl  and  in 
order  to  be  sure  of  success,  President  Cheney 
went  to  Augusta  and  made  a  personal  request  to 


150  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

the  Governor  for  a  scholarship  for  his  protege. 
Being  successful,  he  returned  highly  elated  and 
calling  Miss  Mitchell  to  him  gave  her  the  roll 
saying : 

"  Mary,  I  have  something  for  you." 

She  took  it,  deliberately  untied  the  ribbon, 
unrolled  it,  saw  what  it  was,  quietly  rolled  and 
tied  it,  then  giving  it  back,  said : 

"  I  cannot  take  that,  Mr.  Cheney.  Give  it  to  the 
brethren.  I  can  take  care  of  myself."  And  she  did. 

That  this  action  by  the  College  faculty  was 
promptly  taken  advantage  of  by  opposers  is  illus- 
trated by  this  little  dialogue  between  friends  of 
another  college : 

"  How  many  College  students  have  they  down 
at  Bates  Seminary  ?" 

"  Five  and  a  nigger  and  a  woman."* 

INTERWOVEN    INCIDENTS 

It  was  a  strategic  movement  to  have  the  General 
Conference  meet  in  Lewiston  in  October,  1865. 
The  gathering  of  representative  Free  Baptists  from 

*  The  after  life  of  the  first  woman  graduate  from  a  New 
England  college  is  worthy  of  note.  She  taught  in  the 
Worcester  High  School,  later  in  Vassar  College,  afterwards 
opened  a  private  school  for  young  ladies,  West  Chester 
Park,  Boston.  In  1877  she  was  the  poet  of  the  Bates 
Alumni  Association.  Later  she  married  a  man  of  culture 
and  they  lived  a  very  retired  life.  But  her  pastor  says  that 
she  told  him  of  her  twelve  years  old  daughter  as  equally 
at  home  in  reciting  Latin  Grammar  or  in  making  a  loaf  of 
bread. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  151 

all  parts  of  the  denomination  gave  an  opportunity 
for  an  understanding  of  the  school,  its  status, 
plans  and  purposes,  which  proved  very  valuable. 
Dr.  Cheney  preached  the  Conference  sermon,  of 
which  a  reporter  says :  "  It  was  listened  to  with 
marked  interest  and  attention."  Using  for  a  text, 
"A  little  one  shall  become  a  thousand,"  out  of 
a  full  heart  the  speaker  reviewed  the  history  of  the 
denomination,  gave  high  praise  to  the  noble,  self- 
sacrificing  fathers,  detailed  the  needs  for  which 
the  College  was  founded,  and  earnestly  pleaded 
for  help  and  sympathy  in  its  development,  with 
the  result  that  thereafter  Bates  College  had  a 
recognized  position  of  influence  in  the  denomi- 
nation. 

The  year  1865  is  historically  interesting  as 
marking  the  close  of  the  war.  In  the  April  vaca- 
tion of  this  year,  while  Dr.  Cheney  was  on  a  busi- 
ness tour,  he  heard  that  conditions  were  reaching 
a  crisis  at  the  front  and  hastened  on  to  Washing- 
ton. Learning  of  Lee's  surrender,  he  went  the 
next  day  to  Richmond  and  there  rejoiced  with  the 
victorious,  but  with  pity  for  the  vanquished  brave 
he  visited  and  talked  hopefully  with  the  Con- 
federate prisoners.  But  the  future  of  another 
class  of  people  especially  interested  him.  He 
asked  himself,  "  What  is  to  be  done  with,  and  for, 
the  Freedmen,  hundreds  of  whom  are  flocking 
northward  ?"  His  interest  in  the  race  had  grown, 
when  at  different  times  in  Washington  and  its 


152  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

vicinity  he  had  attended  the  churches  of  the 
colored  people,  had  studied  their  characteristics 
and  thought  about  their  possibilities ;  and  his 
sympathy  for  them  was  such  that  he  would  gladly 
at  this  time  have  given  his  energies  to  their 
uplifting,  but  brain  and  hands  were  already  full. 
The  College  interests  would  not  brook  delay,  so 
he  returned  to  his  work. 

The  country  now  entered  upon  a  new  life  with 
changed  conditions,  and  for  schools  a  more  favor- 
able time  was  at  hand.  Business  and  money 
would  soon  move  in  ordinary  channels  ;  but  the 
financial  work  to  be  done  for  Bates  College  was  a 
heavy  one. 

Dr.  Cheney  had  now  given  eleven  years  of 
strenuous  work  to  the  Institution,  and  his  physi- 
cal forces  were  beginning  to  rebel  against  the 
continuous  strain.  In  a  "  Private  Circular  "  issued 
to  the  Trustees  and  immediate  friends  of  the 
College  in  January,  1866,  Dr.  Cheney  expresses 
thanks  for  a  vote,  giving  him  six  months  vacation, 
but  says  he  has  failed  to  find  any  one  to  take  the 
agency,  and  he  feels  that  the  exigencies  are  such 
that  he  must  forego  any  rest-time  and  keep  on 
with  his  work  at  any  cost  to  himself.  He  says : 

"  A  fourth  class  of  sixteen  students  will 
soon  be  formed  and  then  full  College  work 
will  be  going  on.  There  is  no  time  to  lose. 
Fifty  thousand  dollars  more  can  be  depended 
on  from  Boston  parties  on  condition  that 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  153 

within  three  years,  one  hundred  thousand  can 
be  secured.  We  shall  then  have  in  buildings 
and  site  fifty  thousand  dollars,  in  cash  fund, 
including  state  lands,  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  Under  the  circumstances  I  decide 
to  continue  my  work  without  vacation.  I  am 
willing  to  cut  off  years  from  my  life,  if  I  can 
see  the  Institution  established  on  a  firm  foun- 
dation." 

So  he  took  up  again  the  arduous  task  of  raising 
money ;  money  to  complete  the  thirty  thousand, 
in  order  to  secure  the  state  appropriation  of  land ; 
money  to  meet  the  conditions  of  the  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  pledged  in  Boston  ;  money  for  new  build- 
ings ;  money  for  additional  teachers.  Within  three 
years  there  were  three  new  professors  added  to 
the  teaching  force,  Rev.  Benjamin  F.  Hayes, 
Richard  C.  Stanley  and  Thomas  L.  Angell. 

Another  branch  of  President  Cheney's  work,  to 
which  no  reference  has  been  made,  was  that  of 
securing  students.  This  had  been  going  on  dur- 
ing all  the  years  of  the  Seminary's  existence,  but 
was  renewed  with  increased  zeal  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  College.  Many  a  bright  boy,  with 
longing  for  an  education  apparently  unattainable, 
was  encouraged  by  the  President's  genial  hope- 
fulness and  inspiring  words  to  undertake  a  college 
course;. and  many  others,  who  had  not  aspired 
to  a  higher  education,  had  their  attention  turned 
to  it  by  the  sympathetic  touch  of  a  kind  hand, 


154  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

the  earnest  look  in  smiling  eyes,  accompanied  by, 
"You  are  a  bright  boy.  You  ought  to  go  to 
college.  Come  to  Bates." 

Before  starting  on  his  new  money-raising  tour, 
in  order  to  be  true  to  all  obligations  to  the  Bibli- 
cal School,  President  Cheney  invited  the  agent  of 
that  school  to  visit  and  solicit  money  in  Lewis- 
ton,  personally  giving  three  hundred  dollars 
towards  the  amount  raised  there.  He  then  him- 
self for  a  short  time  took  the  field  for  that  school, 
visiting  and  collecting  money  in  five  cities  to 
help  complete  the  endowment.  He  then  felt  that 
he  could  without  objection  on  the  part  of  any 
consistently  go  on  with  the  work  of  soliciting 
money  for  the  college. 

It  was  fortunate  for  Dr.  Cheney  at  this  critical 
time  that  he  had  such  faithful  coadjutors  in  the 
College  Faculty.  Prof.  Stanton  helps  us  to  obtain 
some  views  from  the  inside  of  college  life : 

"  In  the  early  years  of  the  College  Presi- 
dent Cheney  was  compelled  to  be  away  from 
home  much  of  the  time.  Whatever  the 
Faculty  did  in  his  absence  had  his  hearty 
endorsement.  He  left  each  instructor  free  to 
do  his  own  work  in  his  own  way.  If  any  of 
us  encountered  difficulties  in  dealing  with 
students,  he  was  sure  to  have  the  sympathy 
and  support  of  the  President.  He  made  us 
feel  that  he  and  we  were  co-operating  in 
establishing  an  Institution ;  that  we  were 
building  as  well  as  he  and  that  he  could  not 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  155 

do  without  us.  He  was  agreeable,  honorable, 
and  free  from  self-assertion  in  his  relation 
with  his  associates  in  the  Faculty.  It  was 
characteristic  of  him  not  to  speak  approv- 
ingly of  one  in  his  presence,  but  he  bore  him- 
self with  us  in  such  a  way  that  we  always  felt 
that  we  had  his  approval  and  confidence.  As 
a  college  President,  Dr.  Cheney  was  most 
lovable. 

"  He  was  a  man  of  great  faith.  He  believed 
that  nothing  could  absolutely  fail  that  was 
good.  His  faith  that  God  had  a  work  for 
Bates  College  to  do  was  magnificent.  He 
trusted  in  God,  as  few  men  can,  but  '  kept  his 
powder  dry.'  His  confidence  was  contagious." 


PRESIDENT  CHENEY  VISITS  JOHN 
STOKER 

MR.  STORER  GIVES  TEN  THOUSAND 
DOLLARS  FOR    A    FREEDMEN'S    SCHOOL 

HARPER'S  FERRY  SELECTED  AS  THE 
LOCATION 

G.  H.  BALL,   D.D.,  A  VALUABLE  HELPER 

REV.  N.  C.  BRACKETT  SECURES  A 
CHARTER 

FIRST  BATES  COMMENCEMENT 


XIII 

At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1867  we  find  the 
country  still  in  the  midst  of  reconstruction.  By 
an  amendment  to  the  constitution  slavery  had 
been  abolished  throughout  the  South  and  three 
and  a  half  millions  of  Freedmen  were  now  self- 
dependent.  Ignorant,  with  brain  and  hand  un- 
trained, with  false  ideas  of  the  use  of  freedom, 
their  future  was  causing  serious  thought,  especially 
among  those  who  had  been  anxious  for  their 
emancipation.  Reference  has  already  been  made 
to  Dr.  Cheney's  interest  in  them.  This  was  now 
deepened  by  the  fact  that  three  Maine  State 
Seminary  students  had  been  for  more  than  a  year 
in  the  vicinity  of  Harper's  Ferry  trying  to  plant 
schools  in  that  historic  locality. 

About  this  time,  unexpectedly  to  himself,  he 
became  a  factor  in  the  solution  of  the  problem  of 
negro  education.  In  Febmary,  1867,  he  went  to 
see  John  Storer,  at  his  home  in  Sanford,  Maine. 
Mr.  Storer  had  been  an  interested  donor  to  Bates 
College  and  Dr.  Cheney  now  hoped  to  secure 
another  thousand  dollars  from  him,  but  he  found 
him  so  deeply  absorbed  in  a  different  plan,  that 
he  saw  at  once  that  it  was  an  inopportune  time  to 
press  the  interests  of  the  College. 

Mr.  Storer  was  about  to  make  a  gift  of  ten 
thousand  dollars  to  some  organized  body  that  he 


160  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

could  trust  to  add  it  to  and  so  manage  it  that  it 
would  be  a  permanent  blessing  to  the  colored  race. 
He  had  the  papers  spread  out  before  him,  pre- 
paratory to  the  execution  of  the  plan.  Then, 
with  sudden  foresight,  Dr.  Cheney  saw  a  great 
opportunity,  and  asked  : 

"  Why  not  give  the  money  to  Free  Baptists  ? 
They  have  always  been  true  to  the  interests  of  the 
colored  race.  Some  of  their  representatives  are 
already  at  work  establishing  schools  in  the  south." 
Mr.  Storer  pondered  ;  then  said  : 

"  I  should  like  to  give  it  to  your  people,  for  I 
honor  them  for  the  position  they  have  taken,  but 
I  fear  they  are  not  financially  strong  enough  to 
carry  on  and  develop  such  an  enterprise,  as  it 
should  be  managed."  Then  followed  hours  of 
talk  and  careful  consideration  of  ways  and  means. 
The  result  was  reached  about  midnight  and  is 
concisely  stated  in  Dr.  Cheney's  diary. 

February  6th.  "  Come  to  John  Storer's.  Write 
out  a  plan  for  a  Freedmen's  College." 

February  jth,  "  Mr.  Storer  signs  the  papers, 
giving  to  Free  Baptists  $10,000  for  a  Freedmen's 
College." 

Thus,  without  any  previous  purpose,  Dr.  Cheney 
was  instrumental  in  giving  to  Free  Baptists  one  of 
their  most  important  and  fruitful  fields  of  labor 
and  he  became  a  helper  in  inaugurating  a  move- 
ment which  has  proved  to  be  an  inestimable 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  161 

blessing  to  large  numbers  of  the  negro  race,  and 
through  them  to  our  country. 

In  his  April  vacation  we  find  President  Cheney 
in  West  Virginia,  consulting  with  Rev.  N.  C. 
Brackett  and  wife  and  Annie  Dudley,  the  pioneer 
representatives  of  Maine  State  Seminary,  already 
at  work  there.  After  visiting  and  considering 
many  different  localities,  all  agreed  that  the 
vicinity  of  Harper's  Ferry  was  the  most  desirable 
location  for  the  proposed  school.  Much  property 
in  the  vicinity  was  owned  by  the  government. 
When  it  was  proposed  to  ask  for  the  gift  of  the 
Lockwood  House, — a  large  structure  somewhat 
riddled  with  shells, — President  Cheney  said  : 

"  Ask  Congress  for  all  Camp  Hill  and  take  what 
you  can  get." 

Then  came  one  of  the  results  of  Dr.  Cheney's 
close  touch  with  political  life  in  Augusta.  His 
friends  in  Congress,  including  the  Maine  Senators, 
Fessenden  and  Morrill,  knew  that  his  efforts  in 
the  past  had  been  crowned  with  success.  His 
diary  for  April  gives  us  these  items : 

April  14.     "  Speak  to  the  colored  people." 

April  16.  "Call  on  Senators  Fessenden  and 
Morrill  and  General  Howard  with  great  success." 

April  20.  "Met  Secretary  Stan  ton.  He  is 
favorable." 

Rev.  N.  C.  Brackett,  Ph.D.,  states  the  result 
thus: 


162  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"  A  bill  had  been  introduced  in  the  Senate, 
providing  for  the  sale  of  the  two  great  water 
powers  and  all  that  was  left  of  the  United 
States  Armory  and  Rifle  Works  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  including  many  valuable  houses  and 
much  land.  One  section  of  the  bill  donated 
to  certain  churches,  schools  and  benevolent 
orders  lots  of  land  previously  leased  to  them. 

"  The  bill  had  been  referred  to  the  Military 
Committee,  of  which  General  Henry  Wilson 
was  chairman.  He  allowed  Senator  Fessen- 
den  to  take  the  bill  to  examine  and  amend, 
and  in  his  room  Dr.  Cheney  remodeled  the 
section  providing  for  gifts  so  as  to  include 
Storer  College,  giving  to  her  four  lots.  Con- 
servative brethren  had  told  me  to  ask  for 
one.  We  violated  instructions  and  asked  for 
four.  The  section  written  out  by  Dr.  Cheney 
became  a  law  without  the  change  of  a  letter. 
Strangely  enough,  Dr.  Cheney's  name  figures 
in  hundreds  of  deeds  in  the  records  of  Jeffer- 
son county,  as  the  first  deed  was  to  Oren  B. 
Cheney  and  others." 

The  gift  included  four  government  buildings 
and  seven  acres  of  land  on  Camp  Hill,  the  latter 
being  then  consecrated  by  the  graves  of  three 
hundred  Union  soldiers.  The  location  is  a  beauti- 
ful one,  between  the  Potomac  and  Shenandoah 
rivers.  It  overlooks  the  scene  of  John  Brown's 
raid  and  commands  a  view  of  the  heights  where 
Union  and  Confederate  soldiers  battled  so  bravely. 
Upon  Rev.  N.  C.  Brackett,  who  seemed  divinely 
called  to,  and  was  eminently  fitted  for  the  work, 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  163 

the  responsibility  then  rested  of  devising  plans 
for  and  developing  the  school. 

April  26th,  President  Cheney  reached  home, 
having  on  the  way  awakened  an  interest  in  the 
project  in  parties  in  Harrisburg,  New  York,  Provi- 
dence and  Boston,  and  having  done  a  month's 
work  of  far-reaching  value. 

The  New  Hampshire  Yearly  Meeting  was  at 
that  time  one  of  the  most  important  of  Free 
Baptist  gatherings ;  owing  to  its  position  as  a 
numerical  centre,  persons  having  important 
denominational  business  attended  it,  if  possible. 
There  President  Cheney  went  early  in  June  to 
announce  the  conditional  gift  of  Mr.  Storer  and 
the  result  of  his  trip  to  Washington  and  to  plan 
for  raising  the  money  required  to  secure  Mr. 
Storer's  pledge.  Dr.  G.  H.  Ball  was  at  once 
enthused  with  the  project  and  became  an  earnest 
worker  in  carrying  it  out.  Many  others  gladly 
endorsed  the  movement,  but, — it  is  strange  that  a 
"  but "  must  lie  across  the  path  of  all  onward 
movements — but  a  few  failed  to  see  the  possi- 
bilities promised.  One  of  these  doubters  asked 
another : 

"  What  does  Cheney  want  now  ? " 

"Oh,  he  is  trying  to  build  another  railroad  to 
the  moon,"  was  the  reply. 

Through  a  sleepless  night  Doctors  Ball  and 
Cheney  considered  plans  for  raising  the  $10,000 
required  to  meet  Mr.  Storer's  pledge.  But  they 


164  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

were  not  allowed  to  present  these  plans  to  the 
Yearly  Meeting.  They  were  not  disheartened, 
however.  Dr.  Ball  soon  after  presented  the  matter 
before  a  New  York  Yearly  Meeting,  where  such 
enthusiasm  was  aroused  that  he  entered  the  field 
as  a  financial  agent  for  the  school. 

Dr.  Cheney's  next  move  was  towards  securing 
a  charter  which  must  be  obtained  in  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  wrote  one  and  sent  it  to  Prof.  Brackett. 
So  great  was  the  opposition,  however,  on  the  part 
of  the  residents  of  Harper's  Ferry  and  vicinity  to 
having  a  school  located  there  that  should  be  eli- 
gible to  colored  people,  that  it  was  uncertain  when 
the  charter  could  be  obtained.  In  order  to  hold 
the  property  in  the  meantime,  Dr.  Cheney  secured 
for  the  purpose  the  appointment  by  the  New 
Hampshire  Legislature  of  a  Commission,  with 
which  he  was  officially  connected. 

When,  in  due  time,  Rev.  N.  C.  Brackett,  by  the 
exercise  of  rare  tact  succeeded  in  obtaining  favor- 
able action  upon  the  charter  from  the  West  Vir- 
ginia Legislature,  Dr.  Cheney  signed  the  deed 
passing  the  property  over  to  the  new  corporation. 
Although  he  continued  to  be  a  helper  in  develop- 
ing Storer  and  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  during  his  lifetime,  his  main  work  for  it 
was  in  its  beginning. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  165 

FIRST    BATES    COMMENCEMENT 

It  must  have  been  a  happy  day  for  President 
Cheney,  when  in  July  1867  he  presided  at  the 
first  Bates  College  Commencement.  It  is  true 
there  were  but  eight  graduates  from  the  College 
department,  but  they  were  men  of  whom  any 
college  might  be  proud,  and,  judged  from  a  high 
standard  of  value,  have  paid  in  Christian  service 
far  more  than  all  the  college  has  cost  the  Free 
Baptist  denomination. 

The  class  certainly  made  up  in  courageous 
spirit  what  it  lacked  in  numbers.  The  members 
arranged  for  a  concert  on  Tuesday  evening  of 
Commencement  week  which  attracted  wide  notice, 
for  they  sent  to  New  York  for  Dodworth's  band, 
at  an  expense  of  $1,200. 

As  this  was  then  the  most  noted  band  in  the 
country  and  the  event  was  such  an  unusual  one 
for  Lewiston  at  that  time,  the  boys  were  able  to 
place  the  tickets  at  two  dollars  each.  As  one  of 
the  class  declared  in  a  speech  at  a  late  Commence- 
ment dinner,  "  by  the  interest  of  the  citizens  and 
a  special  interposition  of  divine  Providence  the 
expenses  were  nearly  covered." 

The  class  thus  established  a  memorial  to 
itself,  for  a  high  class  Tuesday  evening  concert 
has  been  a  feature  of  Commencement  week  ever 
since. 

The  report  of   this    Commencement   in    The 


166  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Morning  Star  was  the  first  article  of  importance 
sent  by  Dr.  Cheney  since  the  college  movement 
began.  Success  was  now  too  well  assured  for 
opposers  to  make  reply. 


IMPORTANT  BEGINNINGS 

EFFECT  OF    CIVIL  WAR   ON    STATUS   OF 
WOMEN 

THE  BAPTIST  UNION 


XIV 

The  Free  Baptist  General  Conference,  held  in 
Buffalo  in  1868,  was  notable  for  two  movements 
which  have  an  intimate  connection  with  this 
narrative.  One  was  the  consideration  of  a  plan 
to  remove  the  Biblical  School  from  New  Hampton 
to  a  more  central  locality  and  one  better  suited  to 
its  needs.  President  Cheney  and  some  of  his 
friends  had  felt  for  some  time  that  it  would  be  far 
better  for  that  school  to  be  closely  related  to  a 
College,  because  of  the  many  additional  facilities 
thereby  secured. 

The  result  of  the  discussion  at  the  1868  General 
Conference  was  the  decision  by  the  Education 
Society  to  divide  the  endowment  money  of  the 
Biblical  School  between  Bates  and  Hillsdale  Col- 
leges, with  due  regard  to  the  proportion  raised  in 
their  respective  localities.  Bates,  on  its  part,  was 
to  provide  a  suitable  building  and  three  additional 
professors.  This  action  culminated  in  1870,  and 
thereafter  Bates  College  has  had  a  theological 
department,  from  which  have  graduated  at  least 
one  hundred  and  fifty  ministers. 

The  other  matter  before  the  Buffalo  Conference 
was  a  plan  to  organize  the  denominational  work 
on  a  more  business-like  and  systematic  basis,  by 
having  the  body  incorporated  and  thus  made 


170  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

legally  able  to  hold  and  administer  the  property 
then  held  by  the  different  Benevolent  Societies. 

At  the  previous  General  Conference  in  Lewis- 
ton,  Doctors  Ball  and  Cheney  had  mutally  agreed 
that  such  an  organization  would  make  all  denomi- 
national plans  more  effective.  Dr.  Ball  there 
presented  a  resolution  favoring  it.  Dr.  Cheney 
spoke  in  its  interest  and  it  was  referred  to  a  Com- 
mittee. At  the  Buffalo  Conference  Dr.  Ball  re- 
ported for  the  Committee  an  act  by  the  New 
York  legislature,  incorporating  the  Free  Baptist 
General  Conference.  Dr.  Cheney  led  in  its  sup- 
port. It  failed  of  adoption  by  three  or  four  votes, 
but  its  friends  knew  its  ultimate  victory  was  only 
a  question  of  time. 

Six  years  later  at  the  General  Conference  of 
1874,  sympathy  with  the  movement  led  to  the 
appointment  of  a  Conference  Board  of  seven  mem- 
bers. This  Board  was  to  act  "  in  the  interim 
between  sessions  in  conducting  correspondence 
and  promoting  fellowship  and  union  with  other 
Christian  denominations  and  also  to  receive  reso 
lutions  and  other  business  to  lay  before  Con- 
ference, with  such  suggestions  as  shall  be  deemed 
expedient."  Of  this  Board  Dr.  Cheney  was  elected 
Chairman.  It  entirely  failed,  however,  to  embody 
the  thought  of  the  leaders,  and  they  continued 
their  efforts  to  secure  the  incorporation  of  the 
body. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  171 

EFFECT   OF   CIVIL   WAR   ON    STATUS   OF    WOMEN 

Two  other  movements,  with  the  initiation  of 
which  Dr.  Cheney  was  connected,  were  interwoven 
with  conditions  following  the  Civil  War. 

One  was  the  organizing  of  work  among  women. 
For  some  years  before  the  war,  conditions  had 
been  gradually  changing,  so  as  to  increase  the 
opportunities  of  women  for  development. 

Among  Free  Baptists,  as  early  as  1847,  there 
had  been  organized  "  The  Freewill  Baptist  Female 
Missionary  Society,"  which  continued  a  useful 
life  for  more  than  twenty  years. 

Although  no  objection  would  have  been  made, 
had  the  officers  seen  fit  to  conduct  their  public 
meetings,  they  yielded  to  the  custom  of  the  times 
and  called  upon  "  the  brethren  "  to  assist  them. 

Mrs.  O.  B.  (Nancy  P.)  Cheney  was  the  first 
Recording  Secretary  and  her  husband  was  repeat- 
edly called  upon  to  read  her  reports.  After  her 
resignation  he  continued  to  "  help  those  women  " 
in  various  public  capacities.  At  the  General  Con- 
ference, in  Lewiston,  in  1865,  he  presided  over 
one  of  the  largest  public  meetings  held  by  them. 
But  the  Society  lacked  the  vigor  which  attends  an 
independent,  responsible  life  and  its  work  was 
gradually  discontinued. 

The  Civil  War  wrought  a  wonderful  change  in 
the  status  of  women.  During  its  continuance  they 
organized  everywhere  to  minister  to  the  needs  of 


172  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

the  soldiers.  Week  after  week  they  met  to  scrape 
lint,  make  bandages  and  garments  and  talk  of 
something  outside  of  their  own  lives.  Some  went 
to  "  the  front,"  to  serve  in  various  capacities.  At 
home  thousands  were  obliged  to  step  out  of  the 
ruts  of  their  lines  and  on  farms,  in  stores  and  in 
business  of  almost  every  kind,  they  learned  their 
power.  It  was  an  epoch-making  time.  Never 
again  could  life  for  women  flow  in  its  old  channels. 
Beginning  in  the  late  sixties  and  continuing 
through  the  seventies,  women  organized  for  Mis- 
sion work  in  almost  every  Christian  denomination. 
The  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  and  a 
large  number  of  other  philanthropic  enterprises 
came  into  being  at  the  same  time.  This  decade 
will  be  full  of  rich  nuggets  for  future  historians. 

In  1873  the  Free  Baptist  Woman's  Missionary 
Society  superseded  the  former  organization,  pat- 
terned on  a  much  broader  plan.  Dr.  Cheney  was 
one  of  the  most  interested  and  sympathetic  ob- 
servers of  this  new  movement.  He  was  often  an 
attentive  listener  at  the  exercises,  conducted 
entirely  by  the  women ;  he  made  his  wife  a  life 
member  of  the  Society,  and  later  obtained  for  it  a 
charter  from  the  Maine  Legislature.  Ten  years 
after  we  shall  find  an  important  movement  result- 
ing from  his  continued  study  of  their  work. 

Another  result  of  the  Civil  War  was  the  lower- 
ing of  denominational  walls.  Chaplains  for  the 
army  had  been  appointed  with  small  regards  to 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  173 

creeds,  and  "  the  boys  "  in  camp  or  hospital  cared 
little  about  the  sectarian  name  of  the  man  who 
comforted  and  helped  them.  During  the  recon- 
struction period  that  followed  the  war,  new  homes 
were  often  established  in  places  where  it  was 
impossible  to  continue  the  old  denominational 
relations.  Added  to  this,  there  was  a  natural 
growth  in  breadth  of  thought;  all  of  which 
resulted  in  movements  to  establish  more  sym- 
pathetic relations  between  Christians  of  different 
names. 

Among  Free  Baptists  one  of  the  outgrowths  of 
this  was  the  publication  in  New  York  of  the 
Baptist  Union,  an  eight  page  weekly,  which  from 
1871  through  six  volumes  spoke  strong,  true  words 
as  to  the  duty  of  all  Baptists  to  unite  their  forces. 
Although  this  was  a  private  enterprise,  founded 
and  developed  by  Rev.  G.  H.  Ball,  D.D.,  aided  by 
a  local  Board  of  Publication,  hearty  sympathy  and 
financial  aid  were  received  from  many  Free  Bap- 
tists, especially  in  New  York  and  the  Central 
States.  Although  President  Cheney  was  too 
deeply  absorbed  in  his  own  life  work  to  become 
active  in  this  movement,  Dr.  Ball  says : 

"  While  I  was  publishing  the  Baptist  Union 
and  advocating  the  union  of  all  Baptists  on 
the  basis  of  church  independence  and  entire 
freedom  for  each  church  to  practice  restricted, 
or  unlimited  communion  with  Christians 
at  the  Lord's  table,  Dr.  Cheney  heartily 


174  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

approved,  and,  when  the  matter  came  up  in 
General  Conference,  he  always  defended  the 
position  advocated  by  the  paper." 

But  some  devoted  friends  of  The  Morning  Star 
became  more  and  more  opposed  to  the  Baptist 
Union,  feeling  that  an  effort  for  denominational 
union  was  premature  and  that  Free  Baptists  were 
not  strong  enough  to  support  two  papers.  Dr. 
Cheney  saw  with  clear  vision  both  sides  of  the 
question ;  that  the  principles  being  advocated 
were  right  and  must  ultimately  prevail,  but  that 
under  existing  conditions,  it  would  be  impossible 
for  Free  Baptists  to  see  alike  about  the  matter. 

Because  of  his  attitude  he  was  appealed  to  by 
parties  on  both  sides  of  the  question  for  leader- 
ship of  their  respective  views.  In  response,  he 
tried  his  best  to  secure  some  action  that  would 
result  in  harmony.  He  met  in  consultation  with 
New  York  friends  and  with  those  representing 
The  Morning  Star,  He  himself  called  a  meeting 
of  eight  or  ten  men  of  differing  views,  but  failing 
to  secure  desired  action  he  says,  at  its  close,  "  I 
stood  alone." 

Then  by  letters,  he  sounded  notes  of  warning, 
in  order  to  avert  the  clash,  which  he  saw  was 
imminent  at  the  coming  General  Conference  at 
Providence,  R.  I. 

As  a  result  of  his  position,  although  he  received 
"  some  hard  thrusts "  from  extremists,  earnest 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  175 

opposers  to  each  other  retained  their  respect  for 
his  judgment,  and  he  was  the  constant  adviser  of 
parties  representing  both  sides,  until  the  final 
settlement  by  the  union  of  the  papers  in  1877. 


SUCCESS 

DISASTER 

DIFFICULTIES  SURMOUNTED 

AFTER  TEN  YEARS 
A  CHARACTER  SKETCH 


XV 

President  Cheney  was  now  putting  forth  his 
best  efforts  to  advance  the  financial  interests  of 
the  College.  The  sympathy  felt  for  him  by 
persons  with  whom  he  had  been  allied  in  reforma- 
tion movements  is  shown  by  the  letter  of  intro- 
duction, on  the  pages  following,  from  Henry  Ward 
Beecher. 

In  connection  with  a  trip  to  Florida  in  1869  to 
inspect  property  that  had  come  into  possession  of 
the  College,  there  were  many  interesting  experi- 
ences. In  Washington  he  received  gratifying 
assurances  of  aid  from  James  G.  Elaine  and  other 
prominent  persons. 

A  woman,  prominent  in  philanthropy,  once  said 
to  Dr.  Cheney :  "  I  never  saw  any  one  like  you, 
Oren  Cheney ;  if  anything  happens,  you  are  sure 
to  be  there."  This  saying  had  many  confirma- 
tions ;  among  them  the  fact  that  while  on  his  trip 
in  Washington,  he  heard  the  discussion  in  the 
U.  S.  Senate  on  the  fifteenth  Amendment  to  the 
Constitution.  On  his  return  trip,  he  heard  Presi- 
dent Grant's  inaugural  address. 

NOTE — Something  of  what  Hates  College  was  passing 
through  at  this  time  is  indicated  by  the  following  item 
published  in  a  Maine  paper  :  "  The  attention  of  that  one- 
horse  Institution,  Bates,  is  called  to  the  erratic  conduct  of 
'  James  G.  Blaine '  who  was  here  on  Tuesday  as  busy  as  the 
devil  in  a  gale  of  wind.  A  LL.D.  ought  to  be  more 
dignified." 


**J} 


182  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

He  visited  friends  in  prominent  cities  of  the 

coast  states.  At  Raleigh  he  says  :  "  Col. said 

to  me  :  '  We  will  make  up  fifteen  or  twenty  thous- 
and dollars  for  you  if  we  prosper.' ' 

In  Boston  much  financial  encouragement  was  re- 
ceived. President  Cheney's  notes  say  :  "  Mr.  Bates 
is  ready  at  any  time,  if  we  will  get  $25,000  more." 
On  the  whole  the  trip  was  a  very  gratifying  one, 
and  is  a  type  of  many  others  which  followed. 

DIFFICULTIES    SURMOUNTED 

In  the  early  seventies,  College  matters  required 
much  tactfulness  for  their  adjustment.  We  have 
already  explained  the  removal  to  Lewiston  of  the 
Biblical  School.  This  was  attended  with  the 
usual  amount  of  friction  caused  by  change  in  a 
school  location.  Local  interests  in  New  Hamp- 
shire protested.  Individuals  opposed,  as  in  the 
instance  of  the  man  who  demanded  if  the  school 
go  to  Lewiston,  the  $3,000,  which  he  had  given  be 
returned  to  him.  Legal  questions  were  also 
raised,  which  required  time  and  tact  for  their 
settlement. 

Maine  State  Seminary  had  been  virtually  re- 
moved to  Pittsfield,  but  it  took  time  and  energy 
to  aid  in  adjusting  the  affairs  of  the  new  school, 
and  we  find  President  Cheney  often  there  in  con- 
sultation with  the  Trustees. 

The    Nichols  Latin  School,  which  was  to  take 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  183 

the  local  place  of  Maine  State  Seminary  as  a  pre- 
paratory school  for  the  College,  had  now  a  build- 
ing of  its  own  on  a  lot  adjoining  Bates  College 
campus,  and  between  the  lines  must  be  read  what 
it  had  meant  to  secure  land,  building  and  other 
accessories. 

In  1870  we  find  President  Cheney  negotiating 
for  more  teachers  and  soon  after,  Professor  G.  C. 
Chase  and  J.  H.  Rand  were  added  to  the  faculty, 
both  having  been  successful  teachers  since  their 
graduation  from  Bates,  the  former  in  its  second 
and  the  latter  in  its  first  class.  President  Cheney 
soon  saw  in  Prof.  Chase  the  qualifications  which 
made  him  his  choice  as  his  successor. 

AFTER    TEN    YEARS 

The  Commencement  of  1873  was  the  tenth  from 
the  forming  of  the  first  College  Class.  President 
Cheney's  text  for  his  Baccalaureate  sermon  was, 
"  First  the  blade,"  with  the  purpose  that  ten 
years  later  in  1883,  he  would  use  the  next  phrase 
"then  the  ear,"  and  in  1893  the  concluding  one 
"  after  that  the  full  corn  in  the  ear."  This  plan 
was  carried  out.  During  these  first  ten  formative 
years  there  had  been  seventy-seven  college  gradu- 
ates. As  but  two  of  these  were  women,  it  shows 
that  "  the  sisters "  were  not  yet  ready  to  crowd 
their  brothers  in  academic  halls. 

The  foundations  of  the  College  may  now  be 


184  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

said  to  be  well  laid  and  it  started  on  a  broader 
life  with  constantly  improving  facilities,  a  hopeful 
financial  outlook  and  with  an  entering  class  which 
graduated  eighteen  young  men.  President 
Cheney's  diary  now  had  many  items  of  re- 
joicing. 

In  1874  enough  money  had  been  raised  to  meet 
Mr.  Bates's  conditions  and  he  not  only  paid  in  the 
$75,000  which  completed  his  first  $100,000,  but 
he  pledged  $100,000  more  on  the  same  conditions 
as  before.  What  a  pity  that  Free  Baptists  and 
others  to  whom  the  College  was  to  be  such  a 
blessing  could  not  have  seized  the  opportunity 
and  secured  this  gift  at  once,  by  helping  the  tired 
President  whose  twenty  years  of  service  were 
beginning  to  wear  upon  him  severely ! 

To   his  diary  he   often   confided   his   feelings : 

"Oh,  I  am  tired,  tired." 

"  Sick  all  night." 

"  Leave  home  sick.  Go  to  write  the  will  of 
Miss who  makes  a  gift  to  the  College." 

We  see  him,  however,  still  finding  a  safety-valve 
in  his  interest  in  other  matters.  One  day's  entry 
in  his  diary  shows  us  this : 

"Waiting  for  Mr.  Bates's  return.  Attended  the 
celebration  of  the  Anniversary  of  Emancipation 
and  heard  Sojourner  Truth." 

"  How  sad  that  Gov.  A.  took  the  course  he  did 
on  prohibition  !  " 


OREN  B.  CHEXEY  185 

A    CHARACTER    SKETCH 

Another  side  light  is  thrown  on  President 
Cheney's  character  by  the  following  little  incident 
of  travel :  "  The  sleeper  was  full  of  weary  people, 
trying  in  vain  to  find  repose,  for  the  wails  of  an 
infant  that  would  not  be  appeased,  rose  above  the 
noise  of  the  train.  Finally  an  exasperated  man 
thrust  his  head  between  the  curtains  and  blurted 
out: 

"  '  Keep  that  young  one  still,  won't  you  ? ' 

"  '  I  am  doing  the  best  I  can,  gentlemen,'  came 
in  the  subdued  tones  of  a  man's  voice.  '  The 
baby's  mother  is  in  her  coffin  in  the  baggage  car, 
and  I  am  taking  the  little  fellow  to  his  grand- 
mother. I  am  doing  the  best  I  can,  gentlemen.' 

"The  pathos  of  the  situation  at  once  appealed 
to  Dr.  Cheney's  heart  and  he  was  soon  beside  the 
man's  berth.  '  Let  me  try,'  he  said.  Cuddling 
the  baby  in  his  arms,  for  a  long  time  he  walked 
the  car  aisle  back  and  forth,  back  and  forth, 
softly  singing  '  Bonnie  Doon,'  and  other  sooth- 
ing melodies.  The  little  one's  sobs  became  less 
and  less  frequent.  Fixing  on  Dr.  Cheney's  face 
wide-open,  wondering  eyes,  he  listened  and  became 
quiet.  Finally  the  lids  slowly  closed  and  peace 
reigned  in  the  car  the  remainder  of  the  night." 


VACATION  EXPERIENCES 

PRESIDING  OFFICER 
LETTER  BY  L.  W.   ANTHONY 


XVI 

In  1875,  Mr.  Bates  assured  President  Cheney 
that  he  had  secured  to  the  College  by  will  his  new 
pledge  of  $100,000;  and  the  diary  comment  is: 
"  I  could  not  sleep  for  joy."  It  now  seemed  that 
conditions  were  such  that  the  President  might 
take  the  long-postponed  and  much  needed  vaca- 
tion ;  and  in  1876  he  went  to  Europe  for  a  season 
of  travel  and  study. 

After  some  weeks  spent  in  visiting  places  of 
interest  he  had  just  settled  down  to  study  in 
Paris,  when  news  came  of  the  serious  illness  of 
his  son.  That  evening  he  started  on  his  return 
trip  and  reached  the  homeland  in  time  to  spend  a 
few  precious  hours  with  the  loved  one,  to  hear 
him  say : 

"  I  am  not  afraid  to  leave  myself  in  God's 
hands,  father,"  then — separation,  loneliness. 

Horace  had  been  Assistant  District  Attorney 
for  Suffolk  County,  Massachusetts ;  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  in  legal  practice  for  himself. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Fellows  of 
Bates  College.  His  father  was  depending  on  him 
for  advice  in  matters  of  law  and  looked  to  him  as 
a  prop  in  his  declining  years.  Father  and  son 
had  always  been  closest  companions  and  Dr. 
Cheney's  heart-ache  for  his  boy  ceased  only  with 


190  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

his  own   life.     The  little  granddaughter,  Bessie, 
was  ever  held  in  tenderest  affection. 

We  draw  the  veil  over  the  days  of  sacred  retire- 
ment, which  followed,  but  out  of  the  shadows  he 
came  with  form  slightly  bowed,  with  hair  per- 
ceptibly whitened,  but  with  the  old  purpose  in 
life  strong  and  true,  and  the  many  interests 
already  referred  to  soon  crowded  his  time  full. 

PRESIDING    OFFICES 

When,  at  the  Maine  Yearly  Meeting  in  1877, 
Dr.  Cheney  was  again  elected  as  delegate  to 
General  Conference,  he  made  this  note  :  "  I  have 
never  in  my  life  used  any  influence  to  go,  never 
said  to  any  one,  '  I  would  like  to  go,'  never 
solicited  a  vote." 

At  this  General  Conference,  held  in  Fairport, 
N.Y.,  he  was  chosen  Moderator.  Considering  the 
sharp  differences  of  opinion,  as  to  denomi- 
national policy  which  had  existed  since  the  pre- 
ceding General  Conference,  Dr.  Cheney's  election 
at  this  time  was  highly  complimentary.  The  trust 
in  him  was  fully  honored.  His  native  ability  and 
ease  in  presiding,  his  familiarity  with  parliamen- 
tary methods  and  rules,  his  kindly  effort  to  afford 
all  parties  fair  play,  gave  general  satisfaction,  and 
the  session  proved  successful  and  harmonious. 
The  wide-spread  feeling  of  concern  which  pre- 
ceded this  General  Conference  and  the  feeling  of 
relief  which  followed  cannot  be  better  expressed 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  191 

than  by  a  quotation  from   a    letter  sent   to    Dr. 
Cheney  by  a  prominent  layman  : 

PROVIDENCE,  Oct.  20,  '77. 
BRO.  CHENEY, 

Dear  Sir : 

Although  not  able  to  be  present  at 
General  Conference,  I  felt  a  deep  interest  in  it, 
and  in  conversation  with  some  of  the  delegates, 
expressed  the  desire  that  you  might  be  chosen 
Moderator.  Was  much  pleased  in  reading  of  the 
doings  of  the  Conference  and  particularly  with 
the  wisdom  shown  in  the  make-up  of  the  com- 
mittees, but  most  of  all  in  your  remarks  at  the 
close  of  the  Conference,  I  want  to  thank  you  for 
them.  They  would  have  been  worth  to  me  a  trip 
to  Fairport.  All  I  have  seen  that  were  in  attend- 
ance, speak  of  it  as  being  the  most  harmonious 
session  they  ever  attended.  Let  us  take  courage 
and  press  on. 

Yours 

L.  W.  ANTHONY. 


O.  B.  Cheney 

About  1880 


DEATH  OF  BENJAMIN  E.  BATES 

SECOND  EUROPEAN  TRIP 

DELEGATE  TO  ENGLISH  BAPTISTS 

WINE-DRINKING  INCIDENTS 


XVII 

The  following  entry  in  President  Cheney's  diary 
for  January  15,  1878,  tells  a  thrilling  story:  "  Mr. 
Bates  died  last  night  of  heart  disease.  Oh,  what 
a  blow  to  the  College  !  My  best  friend  gone  !  God 
save  the  College  !  Called  on  Mrs.  Bates." 

The  diary  entries  for  a  time  are  too  sacred  to 
quote.  Day  after  day  found  President  Cheney 
meditating  and  praying  by  Mr.  Bates's  grave  in 
Mt.  Auburn.  There  was  something  unique,  some- 
thing beautiful  in  the  friendship  between  these 
two  men. 

If  under  God's  guidance  O.  B.  Cheney  was  a 
leader  in  a  much  needed  educational  work,  Benja- 
min E.  Bates  was  equally  led  in  his  purpose  to 
stand  by  him  financially. 

For  ten  years  President  Cheney  had  known 
that  when  nobody  else  understood  his  plans,  he 
had  but  to  lay  them  before  Mr.  Bates  to  find  a 
sympathizer.  When  shortness  of  vision  led  any 
to  criticise,  he  knew  where  to  find  a  friend  whose 
foresight  matched  his  own.  When  money  failed 
from  expected  sources,  Mr.  Bates  was  always 
resourceful  in  helping. 

Dr.  Cheney's  diaries  probably  record  but  in 
part  the  many  times  when  he  went  to  Mr.  Bates, 
sorely  burdened  and  came  away  relieved  and 
hopeful. 


196  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

But  O.  B.  Cheney  knew  that  his  work  was  not 
done.  He  fully  believed  that  the  Helper  under 
whose  guidance  he  had  worked  thus  far,  never 
leaves  his  own.  By  provision  of  Mr.  Bates's  will 
$100,000  were  assured  to  the  College.  The 
$100,000  required  to  meet  this  legacy  was  soon 
raised  or  pledged.  Mr.  Bates's  life-purpose  had 
been  so  generally  understood  that  it  seemed  im- 
possible that  there  could  be  any  failure  in  the 
payment  of  this  legacy. 

SECOND    EUROPEAN    TRIP 

By  action  of  the  Fairport  General  Conference, 
Dr.  Cheney  had  been  elected  a  delegate  to  the 
General  Baptist  Anniversaries  held  in  Halifax, 
England  ;  and  in  October,  1878,  he  again  went  to 
Europe,  with  the  double  purpose  of  filling  his 
position  as  delegate  and  of  completing  the  tour, 
so  suddenly  cut  short  two  years  before.  During 
the  President's  absence  on  this  and  the  preceding 
foreign  trip,  Professor  B.  F.  Hayes  acted  as  Presi- 
dent of  Bates  College.  Hon.  Nelson  Dingley, 
LL.D.,  and  Mrs.  Dingley  were  Dr.  Cheney's  travel- 
ing companions.  As  Mr.  Dingley  was  a  pro- 
nounced total  abstainer,  they  had  many  sym- 
pathetic experiences.  The  belief,  then  extant, 
that  it  was  not  safe  to  travel  on  the  continent 
without  the  use  of  wine,  often  obliged  these 
friends  to  assert  their  principles.  One  day  a 
lady,  who  had  been  especially  persistent  in  urg- 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  197 

ing  President  Cheney  to  drink  wine  with  her, 
said  to  him,  "  Now,  Dr.  Cheney,  do  you  really 
think  it  would  hurt  you  to  sip  a  little  wine  ?" 
Sitting  back  in  his  chair  and  looking  at  her 
steadily  with  a  kindly  but  firm  expression,  he 
said :  "  Madam,  I  have  never  used  wine,  or  any 
other  intoxicant,  and  I  could  not  respect  myself  if 
I  began  now.  Besides,  I  am  President  of  a 
College  which  requires  a  pledge  of  total  absti- 
nence from  each  entering  student.  If  I  were  ever 
to  raise  a  glass  of  wine  to  my  lips,  in  some  way 
the  word  would  go  back  and  not  only  would  I 
have  lost  my  self-respect,  but  my  influence  would 
be  destroyed.  You  must  excuse  me,  madam." 
She  asked  his  pardon  and  left  him  in  peace. 

EXPERIENCES   AS    DELEGATE 

In  his  address  as  delegate  to  the  General  Bap- 
tists of  England,  Dr.  Cheney  awakened  enthusiasm 
by  referring  to  the  influence  of  their  representa- 
tive, Dr.  Sutton,  in  inspiring  Free  Baptists  to 
enter  upon  Foreign  Missionary  work ;  but  when 
he  stated  that  his  denomination  did  not  ordain  to 
the  Christian  ministry  any  man  who  used  intoxi- 
cating liquors,  it  created  quite  a  sensation.  When 
a  member  made  a  motion  of  thanks  for  his 
address,  another  member  arose  and  said  he  could 
not  vote  for  the  motion,  lest  it  be  interpreted  as 
approving  the  course  of  the  United  States 
brethren  in  regard  to  licensing  candidates,  for 


198  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

there  was  but  one  door  to  the  church  and  that 
Christ.  A  spirited  discussion  followed,  lasting 
nearly  all  day,  resulting  finally  in  an  almost  unani- 
mous vote  of  thanks,  and  being  generally  under- 
stood as  a  decided  victory  for  temperance.  The 
temperance  reform  had  then  made  but  little  prog- 
ress in  England,  and  the  reports  occupying 
several  columns  in  the  daily  papers  attracted  wide- 
spread attention. 

The  weeks  of  travel  which  followed  were  full  of 
interest  and  profit  to  President  Cheney.  He  had 
no  more  unique  experience  than  when  he  stood 
on  Mars  Hill  on  the  spot  reputed  to  have  been 
occupied  by  Saint  Paul  and  preached  a  sermon  to 
an  invisible  audience. 

DARK    DAYS 

On  Dr.  Cheney's  return  to  the  homeland  he 
found  that  there  was  cause  for  much  anxiety  as  to 
the  outcome  of  the  contested  will  of  Mr.  Bates. 
Then  followed  a  time  of  sleepless  nights,  efforts  to 
secure  money  and  constant  alertness  in  conferring 
with  legal  advisers.  It  seemed  as  if  the  very  life  of 
the  College  were  at  stake.  How  severe  was  the 
blow  when  the  report  of  the  commissioners  was 
finally  received  !  It  allowed  the  payment  of  a  sum 
due  on  previous  pledges,  but  disallowed  the 
$100,000  pledge.  As  many  people  had  given 
money  with  the  provision  that  it  was  to  help 
secure  Mr.  Bates's  pledge,  serious  additional  losses 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  199 

were  threatened  and  it  was  thought  best  to  carry 
the  matter  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts. 
Some  who  had  been  afraid  President  Cheney 
was  going  ahead  too  fast  showed  the  "  I-told-you- 
so "  spirit.  But  the  large  majority  rallied  to  his 
support  and  sustained  him  by  their  sympathy  and 
hopefulness.  This  was  especially  true  of  the  noble 
men  who  composed  the  Bates  College  Faculty. 
They  were  hard  workers,  on  small  salaries,  but  not 
a  man  flinched.  With  one  accord,  they  encouraged 
him  with  sympathy  and  offers  of  help.  Dr. 
Cheney  said  in  a  letter : 

"  When  members  of  the  Faculty  said  to  me, 
'  the  College  shall  not  fail  in  any  event,'  it 
lifted  from  me  a  great  burden  ;  and  so  I  say, 
'  the  God  of  heaven,  he  will  prosper  us.' " 

The  same  courageous  spirit  was  voiced  by  the 
Alumni.  One  writes : 

"  My  faith  in  the  ultimate  triumph  does  not 
waver.  None  of  your  labor  will  be  lost.  In 
the  Providence  of  God  you  have  been  the 
means  of  starting  a  great  work,  which  will 
surely  live.  If  the  younger  friends  of  the 
College  can  be  half  as  single  and  devoted  as 
you  have  been,  I  shall  be  satisfied." 

During  the  two  following  years,  the  will  case 
was  in  the  courts,  with  the  result  that  the  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court  gave  a  final  decision  in 
favor  of  the  contestants.  President  Cheney's 
diary  note  for  September  6,  1883,  is: 

"Chosen   delegate    to   General   Conference   at 


200  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Minneapolis.  Hear  of  the  decision  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Court,  losing  the  $100,000.  Well,  God 
will  take  care  of  the  College." 

The  blow  was  so  severe  as  at  first  to  be  almost 
stunning,  but  with  sublime  faith  the  President 
rallied  and  worked  "  on  and  on  and  on."  With 
the  Supreme  Court  decision  the  strain  and  stress 
of  years  were  over.  Nothing  remained  but  to 
make  more  heroic  efforts. 

Like  a  ray  of  sunshine  thwart  the  darkness  was 
the  following  letter  of  appreciation  of  Bates  Col- 
lege, written  by  the  scholar  and  philanthropist, 
Wendell  Phillips : 

I  am  familiar  with  the  history  of  Bates  College 
and  acquainted  with  its  officers.  In  the  old  times 
of  bitter  pro-slavery  feeling  the  College  gave 
earnest  and  effective  support  to  the  anti-slavery 
movement  and  was  among  the  very  first  to  open 
its  doors  to  the  colored  man.  Since  then  it  has 
shown  the  same  liberal  spirit  touching  the  equal 
education  of  women,  being,  I  believe,  the  very  first 
to  graduate  a  woman  from  its  classes. 

The  Institution  deserves  well  of  New  England 
and  ought  to  have  all  the  aid  it  needs  to  make 
still  more  thorough  and  complete  the  opportuni- 
ties it  has  always  offered  to  those  seeking,  at  a 
moderate  cost,  a  thorough  preparation  for  private 
usefulness,  public  service  and  the  duties  of  Chris- 
tian citizenship. 

WENDELL  PHILLIPS,  Boston. 
3  Dec.,  1881. 


>^   ^^  *^x^X.<=^ -i^i^, 


X. 


^&S 


xl    , 


C/L 


<«- 


G 


FREE  BAPTIST  CENTENNIAL 

OCEAN  PARK 
COLLEGE  EXTENSION  PLAN 


XVIII 

When  President  Cheney  returned  from  his  trip 
abroad,  another  matter  of  importance  was  claim- 
ing his  attention.  His  denomination  was  about 
to  celebrate  its  Centennial.  As  Moderator  of  the 
last  General  Conference  and  as  Chairman  of  the 
Conference  Board,  he  was  one  of  the  responsible 
parties  in  deciding  upon  location,  program  and 
other  matters  needful  to  its  success. 

The  Centennial  was  held  at  The  Weirs,  on  Lake 
Winnipiseogee,  no  church  being  able  to  accom- 
modate so  large  a  gathering.  It  was  connected 
with  the  session  of  General  Conference  of  1880 
and  was  the  most  important  and  largely  attended 
assembly  that  had  ever  been  held  by  Free 
Baptists.  Dr.  Cheney  was  elected  Moderator. 
Dawson  Burns,  D.D.,  Metropolitan  Superintendent 
of  the  United  Kingdom  Alliance,  a  great  British 
Temperance  Organization,  was  one  of  the  English 
delegates  present.  In  an  appreciative  article  in 
The  Morning  Star,  Dr.  Burns  says  : 

"Both  my  colleague  and  myself  were  struck 
with  the  tact  and  urbanity  he  displayed,  in 
discharging,  day  by  day,  the  difficult  duties 
of  his  office.  It  was  impossible  to  know  Dr. 
Cheney,  however  slightly,  without  perceiving 
him  to  be  a  man  of  rare  ability  and  of  the 
finest  character." 

The  whole  session  was  an  inspiring  and  success- 


208  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

ful  one  and  was  fruitful   of  new  enterprises,  that 
have  since  been  of  much  denominational    value. 

OCEAN    PARK 

One  of  the  most  important  of  these  was  the 
inauguration  of  a  movement,  through  the  initia- 
tion of  Rev.  E.  W.  Porter,  then  of  Lowell,  Mass., 
to  establish  a  Free  Baptist  summer  resort,  which 
should  provide  for  physical,  intellectual  and  spirit- 
ual improvement.  Dr.  Cheney  was  a  member  of 
the  Committee  to  carry  out  the  plan.  After  ex- 
amining many  localities,  a  strip  of  land  was 
secured  near  Old  Orchard,  Maine.  Dr.  Cheney 
always  remembered  with  interest  the  day  when 
the  Committee  walked  across  sand  and  marsh,  up 
to  the  beautiful  pine  grove,  at  the  entrance  to 
which  the  temple  was  to  be  located,  and  all  kneeled 
with  bared  heads  while  Rev.  Silas  Curtis  offered  a 
prayer,  dedicating  the  grounds  to  holiest  service. 

An  association  was  organized  with  Dr.  Cheney 
as  President.  This  office  he  held  for  four  years. 
As  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  he  gave 
much  time  and  thought  to  the  development  of  this 
unique  and  delightful  summer  home,  which  em- 
bodies so  many  helpful  features,  as  to  be  sur- 
passed by  few  such  resorts  in  the  country. 

COLLEGE    EXTENSION    PLAN 

With  Bates  College  interests  always  uppermost 
in  his  thought,  President  Cheney  had  a  plan  from 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  209 

the  beginning  of  the  Ocean  Park  movement,  by 
which  he  hoped  to  extend  the  College  influence. 
He  purchased  a  block  of  centrally-located  lots, 
opposite  a  park  reservation.  College  Extension 
in  the  form  of  summer  meetings,  lectures  and 
schools,  was  then  in  its  infancy.  The  President 
saw  that  the  proximity  of  Bates  College  to  Ocean 
Park  afforded  a  favorable  opportunity  for  the 
College  to  be  early  in  the  field  in  such  work.  But 
the  financial  disasters  which  came  to  Bates  in  the 
early  eighties  hindered  the  development  of  the 
new  enterprise. 

Later,  the  interests  of  the  Boston  and  Maine 
Railroad,  in  building  up  Ocean  Park,  seemed 
likely  to  become  a  factor  in  the  realization  of  his 
plan  ;  but  on  the  day  Dr.  Cheney  was  to  have  a 
decisive  meeting  with  the  President  of  the  road, 
word  came  of  the  serious  illness  of  the  latter  and 
death  once  more  thwarted  large  plans.  Soon  after, 
the  Chautauqua  movement  became  a  part  of  the 
Ocean  Park  educational  system  and  the  College 
plan  was  superseded. 

The  house  which  Dr.  Cheney  had  built  as  a 
part  of  the  College  Extension  system,  and  painted 
garnet,  the  College  color,  became  his  summer 
home  during  his  life,  and  his  interest  in  the 
development  of  Ocean  Park  continued  to  the  end. 
As  late  as  1900,  he  went  to  Augusta  for  an  effort 
to  secure  what  seemed  to  him  desirable  legislation 
in  its  behalf. 


EFFORTS  FOR  CHRISTIAN  UNION 

PLANS  FOR    MORE  EFFECTIVE  MISSION- 
ARY WORK 

BEREAVEMENT 


XIX 

In  chapter  XIII  reference  was  made  to  Dr. 
Cheney's  interest  in  two  movements  which 
followed  the  Civil  War.  Ten  years  had  passed 
with  ripening  plans.  As  already  noted  it  was  the 
duty  of  the  Conference  Board,  of  which  he  was 
Chairman,  to  "  promote  fellowship  and  union  with 
other  Christian  denominations."  As  Moderator 
of  the  General  Conferences  in  1877  and  1880,  Dr. 
Cheney  was  led  to  think  much  about  denomi- 
national development.  He  had  seen  that  the 
time  had  not  come  for  the  union  of  Free  Baptists 
and  the  Baptist  body,  but  he  was  very  hopeful 
that  some  union  might  be  effected  between  differ- 
ent open-communion  bodies,  which  agreed  in  the 
essentials  of  Christianity.  In  advocacy  of  this 
idea  Dr.  Cheney  sent  articles  to  different  papers, 
which  elicited  cordial  responses  from  many 
sources.  A  wide  correspondence  followed,  not 
only  among  Free  Baptists,  but  with  broad-minded 
persons  in  several  denominations,  including  the 
Disciples  of  Christ,  the  Christian,  the  Church  of 
God  and  the  Free  Baptists  of  New  Brunswick. 

There  was  so  much  expressed  sympathy  with 
the  movement  that  it  almost  seemed  as  if  success 
were  assured.  A  convention  resulted,  which  was 
held  at  Minneapolis,  in  1883,  on  the  day  preced- 
ing the  Free  Baptist  General  Conference.  It  was 


214  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

not  a  delegated  body,  but  there  were  representa- 
tives present  from  the  different  denominations 
concerned.  Dr.  Cheney  was  elected  President. 

Ways  and  means  were  discussed  relating  to 
immediate  union  in  Missionary  and  some  other 
lines  of  work,  with  the  hope  of  promoting  ultimate 
organic  union.  Those  present  were  empowered 
to  report  the  Convention  to  their  respective 
bodies  and  the  session  closed  with  large  hope  of 
important  results. 

At  the  ensuing  Free  Baptist  General  Conference 
the  spirit  of  the  Convention  was  plainly  felt. 

Dr.  Cheney  was  serving  a  second  term  as  Re- 
cording Secretary  of  the  Free  Baptist  Foreign 
Missionary  Society  and  was  one  of  the  most  active 
members  of  its  Executive  Board. 

As  the  result  of  the  Convention  just  held  he 
was  very  hopeful  of  almost  immediate  union  in 
Missionary  work  among  the  open-communion 
bodies. 

Plans  had  also  been  forming  in  his  mind  relat- 
ing to  the  Woman's  Missionary  Society — the  other 
movement  referred  to  in  chapter  XIII.  This  had 
had  ten  years  of  eminently  successful  life,  not 
only  financially  but  also  in  the  executive  ability 
shown  in  its  management. 

Because  of  the  needs  of  the  larger  work,  a  feel- 
ing had  grown  in  some  quarters  that  the  women 
ought  to  unite  their  forces  with  the  parent  society, 
the  argument  being  that  the  work  in  India  would 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  215 

be  made  more  effective  thereby.  Dr.  Cheney  was 
reticent  about  his  plans  to  help  this  condition,  but 
he  was  busy.  When  the  Nominating  Committee 
made  its  report  at  the  Foreign  Missionary  Anni- 
versary, at  Minneapolis,  Rev.  Joseph  McLeod, 
D.D.,  of  the  New  Brunswick  Free  Baptists,  was 
nominated  as  President  of  the  Society,  Mrs.  E.  S. 
Burlingame,  President  of  the  Woman's  Missionary 
Society,  as  Vice-President,  while  the  nominees  for 
the  Executive  Committee  included  one  member 
each  from  the  Christian,  New  Brunswick  Free 
Baptists  and  Church  of  God  denominations  and 
three  official  members  of  the  Woman's  Missionary 
Society.  They  were  elected  without  opposition. 

In  the  absence  of  the  newly  elected  President, 
Dr.  McLeod,  Dr.  Cheney  informed  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent of  her  election  and  escorted  her  to  the  plat- 
form to  preside.  This  was  probably  the  first  time 
a  woman  had  presided  at  the  public  meeting  of 
any  denominational  Missionary  Society. 

Results 'of  these  movements  were  (a)  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  Joint  Committee  by  the  Foreign 
Missionary  and  Woman's  Societies,  which  con- 
tinued as  a  permanent  factor  in  simplifying  and 
harmonizing  the  work ;  (b)  the  appointment  by 
General  Conference  of  a  Committee  to  confer  with 
Committees  to  be  appointed  by  other  denomi- 
nations to  make  plans  for  permanent  union. 

The  Union  Committee  held  an  important  meet- 
ing at  Philadelphia  and  much  progress  was 


216  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

reported  at  the  General  Conference  of  1886,  held 
at  Marion,  Ohio,  at  which  there  was  much  enthu- 
siasm for  union,  there  being  present  many  dele- 
gates from  the  other  bodies  concerned. 

A  vote  was  there  passed  that  pastors  might  go 
from  Christian  to  Free  Baptist  churches  and  vice 
versa  without  loss  of  denominational  standing ; 
and  a  pastor  was  soon  after  called  from  a  Chris- 
tian church  to  the  Free  Baptist  church,  known  as 
the  College  church  in  Lewiston,  Me.  A  successful 
pastorate  of  ten  years  followed. 

At  Marion,  a  new  Committee  on  Union  was 
appointed  with  J.  L.  Phillips,  D.D.,  as  Chairman, 
— Dr.  Cheney  being  a  member — which  later,  at  a 
meeting  at  Worcester,  Mass.,  agreed  upon  a  basis 
of  union  between  Free  Baptists  and  Christians. 
Union  in  Missionary  work  with  the  New  Bruns- 
wick Free  Baptists  was  soon  effected  and  con- 
tinued until  1906,  when  another  union  movement 
led  them  to  become  affiliated  with  the  larger 
Baptist  body  in  New  Brunswick.  But  in  an  army 
defeat  in  battle  often  results  from  the  difficulty  of 
"  bringing  up  the  rear ;  "  and  in  denominations 
which  have  no  authoritative  head,  it  is  a  more 
perplexing  matter  to  lead  forward  the  "  rank  and 
file."  Conservatives  in  the  different  denomina- 
tions exerted  a  gradually  strengthening  influence 
against  the  movement,  with  the  result  that  finally 
the  advance  guard  "rested  on  their  arms." 

The  regret  at  this  outcome  felt  by  President 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  217 

Cheney  and  many  sympathizers  is  well  expressed 
in  a  letter  received  by  him  from  one  who  had  been 
elected  a  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  of 
the  Free  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society  from 
the  Church  of  God  : 

"  I  am  sorry  and  grieved  at  my  heart  that 
a  project,  so  wisely  conceived  and  auspi- 
ciously begun,  should  be  strangled  so  early  in 
its  life.  But  we  can  still  be  brethren  and 
cherish  the  hope  that  those  coming  after  us 
will  be  broader  and  grander  than  men  of  this 
generation  ;  and  that  they  will  do  what  we 
ought  to  have  done. 

Dear  Doctor,  I  remain 

Your  brother  in  Christ." 

A  year  later,  Dr.  Cheney  was  elected  President 
of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  which  position 
he  held  for  eight  years,  until  the  Society  was 
merged  in  the  incorporated  General  Conference 
in  1892.  Women  continued  until  that  time  to  be 
members  of  the  Executive  Board,  and  were  always 
shown  most  courteous  consideration  by  President 
Cheney  and  his  associates. 

BEREAVEMENT 

For  many  months,  during  the  years  1885  and 
1886,  President  Cheney's  home  had  been  saddened 
by  the  failing  health  of  his  wife  and  his  diaries 
show  how,  amid  his  many  duties,  anxiety  about 
the  result  was  ever  present  with  him. 

In  February,  1886,  Mrs.  Nancy  Perkins  Cheney 


218  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

peacefully  passed  to  the  life  above,  and  her 
husband  was  bereft  of  a  faithful  companion  and 
wise  counsellor ;  one  who,  for  forty  years,  had 
stood  by  and  sympathized  with  him  in  his  various 
activities.  We  quote  diary  notes  : 

"Mrs.  C.  went  to  Heaven  at  4.20  A.  M.  She 
died  without  a  struggle,  falling  asleep  like  a  little 
child  in  its  mother's  arms.  Her  first  Sabbath  in 
Heaven !  She  is  singing  '  Welcome,  delightful 
Morn.' " 

"  Where  do  all  the  dear  good  friends  come  from  ? 
There  are  so  many  !  Faculty  called  this  morning. 
Mrs.  C.  looks  as  if  asleep." 

Many  are  the  testimonials  to  her  useful  life  ! 


FACULTY    FOR    MISCELLANEOUS   WORK 
COLLEGE  DEVELOPMENT 
STUDENT  TESTIMONIALS 

CATHOLICITY  AND  COSMOPOLITAN 
CHARACTER  OF  BATES 

THE  STUDENT  BODY 


XX 

In  1886,  President  Cheney  was  seventy  years 
old  and  may  be  said  to  have  been  at  the  maturity 
of  his  powers.  The  few  years  previous  to  this, 
furnish  a  fit  illustration  of  his  capacity  for  carry- 
ing on  different  kinds  of  work  at  the  same  time. 

The  story  has  been  already  told  how,  while 
going  through  the  bitter  experience  attending  the 
adverse  will-decision,  he  helped,  as  President  of 
the  Association  to  found  Ocean  Park;  how  as 
Moderator  of  General  Conference  he  had  been  led 
to  devise  large  things  in  promoting  Christian 
union ;  how,  as  Recording  Secretary  and  then 
President  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  he 
was  shaping  its  policy  and  guiding  its  affairs ; 
and  how  as  President  of  the  New  England  Asso- 
ciation, he  was  working  to  concentrate  and  pre- 
serve New  England  Free  Baptist  interests ;  all 
in  addition  to  his  strenuous  financial  work  for 
Bates  College. 

We  obtain  an  interesting  view  of  this  kaleido- 
scopic life  through  excerpts  from  his  diary,  taken 
at  random  from  a  period  covering  several  months. 

"Did  not  sleep  at  all  last  night.  Heard  the 
clock  strike  every  hour.  Felt  so  anxious  for  the 
College." 

"Went   to   Augusta  to  get   charter  for  Ocean 


222  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Park  Association — also  to  get  legislation  relating 
to  Maine  Central  Institute." 

"  College  exercises  suspended.  Funeral  of  Presi- 
dent Garfield.  Exercises  at  College  Chapel." 

"  Go  to  Springfield.  G.  will  give  $300  a  year 
for  5  years.  Praise  the  Lord.  Did  not  sleep  for 
joy  Monday  night  and  last  night.  Leave  for  N.  Y." 

"At  home.  Meeting  at  my  home  to  consider 
question  of  Lewiston  and  Auburn  supporting  a 
missionary.  25  present.  O.  B.  C.  Chairman." 

"  Received  a  lettter  from  editor  Boston  Post 
asking  my  opinion  on  Maine  Law  and  Con. 
Amendment.  At  home." 

"  Meeting  of  Foreign  Missionary  Board.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  George  examined  and  accepted  as  mis- 
sionaries to  India." 

"Attend  Eldership  of  Church  of  God  as  dele- 
gate from  Free  Baptist  General  Conference." 

"At  home — sick — Sophomores  attacked  the 
Freshmen  last  night  in  the  Chapel.  Although 
they  were  provoked  by  the  Freshmen,  still  they 
cannot  be  justified  in  doing  what  they  did  do." 

"  Trouble  settled  by  the  yielding  of  the  students. 
I  would  rather  have  let  every  student  leave  than 
yield  the  good  order  of  the  college." 

"  Received  check  of  $200  from  Mr.  C.  and  one 
from  P.  of  $150  for  college.  Went  to  Augusta  to 
get  a  charter  for  Woman's  Missionary  Society, 
also  to  get  an  amendment  of  charter  of  Parent 
Foreign  Missionary  Society." 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  223 

"  At  the  State  House  all  day.  Go  before  Judici- 
ary Committee.  Bills  reported." 

"  Attended  convention  at  F.  B.  church,  St. 
John,  N.  B." 

"  Yearly  meeting — chosen  Moderator." 

"  Boston,  see  transit  of  Venus.  Meeting  of 
Foreign  Missionary  Board." 

"Go  to  Lyndon ville,  Vt.,  to  advise  with 
Trustees  of  the  Lyndon  Institute." 

"  Go  to  Old  Orchard.  Meeting  of  Directors  of 
O.  Park  Asso." 

"Close  of  General  Conference  at  Minneapolis. 
Went  to  Minnehaha  Falls  and  Fort  Snelling. 
Called  on  D.  M.  Asked  him  to  help  college. 
Made  up  the  record  of  the  Foreign  Missionary 
Society." 

"Go  to  Pittsfield  to  help  save  Institute.  Pitts- 
field  is  to  raise  $10,000." 

"Secured  sub.  $7,343.79 — sign  note  for  balance. 
Thank  the  Lord  the  Institute  is  saved." 

"Boston  at  meeting  of  Foreign  Missionary 
Board." 

"Election  day.     The  right  prevailed." 

"Go  to  Old  Orchard— Meeting  of  O.  P.  A. 
directors." 

"Go  home.     Freshman  Declamation." 

"Write  an  article  for  Star  on  Commencement." 

"  At  home — Preside  at  a  public  meeting  of  Pine 
Street  Free  Baptist  church,  to  free  the  house  from 
debt." 


224  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"  In  doors — Not  at  all  well — I  am  so  tired,  but, 
if  I  had  a  thousand  lives,  I  would  give  them  all  for 
the  dear  College.  Baby  died.  (A  grandchild.) 
The  house  is  dark  and  empty." 

"Writing  an  article  for  the  Independent  about 
the  General  Conference.  Heard  of  the  fire  at 
Farmington  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  College 
must  suffer  a  loss.  But  it  can  stand  fire  and  the 
decision  of  Mass.  Judges,  for  it  is  the  Lord's 
College  and  he  will  take  care  of  it." 

"  Called  on  Mr. .  He  is  about  ready  to 

give  money  for  an  observatory.  God  be  praised  !" 

"  See  Messrs.  L.  I  think  they  will  endow  a 
scholarship." 

"In  New  York.  Committee  of  18  on  union 
meet  at  St.  Paul's  church." 

"  Committee  in  session.  Adjourn  at  4  P.M. 
Agree  on  union  in  Christian  work." 

"  P.  pledges  $1,500  on  my  salary  on  certain  con- 
ditions. The  Lord  bless  him.  This  will  make 
his  gifts  to  the  College  about  $4,000." 

"May  8,  '86.  Attend  the  meeting  for  the 
union  of  the  Christians  and  Free  Baptists  at -our 
church.  Am  appointed  on  a  committee  to  report 
a  plan  of  union." 

"Write  an  article  for  the  Independent" 

"Meeting  of  Foreign  Missionary  Board  at 
Shawmut  Ave.  church,  Boston." 

"  Went  to  Chelsea  to  see  Mr.  E.     He  is  think- 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  225 

ing   of.  putting   something    in    his   will   for   the 
College." 

A  large  correspondence  covered  a  range  of  more 
than  all  the  subjects  referred  to  in  these  notes. 
One  letter  contains  an  appeal  from  a  man  of 
national  fame  to  come  to  Augusta  in  an  important 
political  crisis  saying : 

"  Your  presence  and  participation  will  be  of 
much  value." 

Another  from  a  prominent  man  says  : 

"Enclosed  please  find  a  check  for  $100  as 
a  contribution  for  Bates  College.  It  affords 
me  great  pleasure  to  be  able  to  contribute  in 
a  small  degree  to  this  splendid  institution, 
which  is  the  work  of  your  creation." 

COLLEGE    DEVELOPMENT 

During  the  late  eighties,  for  several  years,  two 
important  will  cases  added  their  perplexities  to 
the  President's  duties.  Both  of  these  were  settled 
in  favor  of  the  College. 

In  1890,  the  Hedge  Laboratory,  a  substantial 
brick  building,  was  added  to  the  College  facilities. 
The  amount  given  by  Dr.  Hedge"  towards  its 
erection  had  been  pledged  with  the  proviso  that 
a  certain  amount  be  raised  within  a  definite  time 
in  order  to  redeem  the  pledge. 

Owing  to  the  financial  work  to  be  done  in  order 
to  meet  this  and  other  conditional  gifts,  Prof  G. 
C.  Chase  was  obliged  to  be  often  in  the  field  to 
assist  the  President. 


226  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Donors  do  not  realize  the  agony  often  endured 
by  self-sacrificing  people,  as  the  time  limit  draws 
near  for  raising  money  to  meet  their  conditional 
gifts,  else  they  would  relieve  the  strain  by  less 
exacting  methods. 

Although  Bates  had  an  original  campus  of 
twenty  acres  President  Cheney  realized  the  future 
importance  of  adding  to  these  from  the  surround- 
ing land  before  the  neighborhood  became  thickly 
populated,  consequently  in  the  late  seventies  he 
had  purchased  for  the  College  about  thirty  acres 
more.  In  this  movement  he  had  met  with  sharp 
opposition  from  many  who  were  the  firm  friends 
of  the  College,  but  who  felt  that  the  campus  was 
already  large  enough.  President  Cheney's  perti- 
nacity prevailed,  however,  and  as  a  result  of  his 
foresight  the  College  now  has  a  highly  prized 
campus  of  fifty  acres,  on  which  has  been  laid  out 
one  of  the  finest  athletic  fields  in  the  country,  with 
ample  room  left  for  future  needs  in  the  growth  of 
the  Institution. 

President  Cheney  was  a  lover  of  trees.  He 
enjoyed  planting  and  caring  for  them.  The  cam- 
pus was  at  first  a  rough,  uneven  piece  of  land. 
The  President  was  never  more  in  his  element  than 
in  gradually  making  this  a  sightly,  attractive  spot. 
Stumps  had  to  be  removed  and  section  after 
section  graded,  this  requiring  much  money  and 
time.  An  annual  tree-planting  was  always  to  him 
an  occasion  of  joy.  A  large  majority  of  the  trees 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  227 

that  now  make  the  campus  so  attractive  and  rest- 
ful were  planted  under  President  Cheney's  own 
supervision,  many  of  them  by  his  own  hands. 

Too  much  credit  cannot  be  given  to  the  corps 
of  Professors  that  during  those  strenuous  years 
gave  such  devoted  service  to  the  local  interests  of 
the  College. 

President  Cheney's  confidence  in  the  efficiency 
and  faithfulness  of  these  instructors  led  him  to 
depend  very  largely  upon  them  for  carrying  on 
the  local  work.  The  financial  interests  of  the 
College  at  this  time  so  dominated  his  thought  as 
to  somewhat  diminish  his  power  as  a  personal 
factor  in  the  school. 

But  if  any  special  circumstances  called  for  his 
attention,  he  was  at  once  alert  and  the  power  of 
his  personality  and  his  natural  forte  as  teacher 
and  leader  asserted  themselves.  The  following 
testimonial  from  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Clark  Rand,  class 
of  1 88 1,  helps  us  to  see  President  Cheney  from 
the  student  standpoint : 

"  As  Dr.  Cheney  had  given  up  class  room 
work  long  before  I  entered  college  in  order  to 
devote  his  whole  time  to  the  financial  and 
general  interests  of  the  Institution,  I  never 
had  the  privilege  of  knowing  him  as  a 
teacher.  But  his  regard  for  the  students  was 
so  keen  and  personal  that  I  soon  came  to 
feel  well  acquainted  with  him  and  to  have  in 
a  measure  at  least,  a  sympathetic  knowledge 
of  his  life-work  and  its  burdens. 


228  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"In  the  eighties  the  endowment  fund  of 
the  College  was  much  smaller  than  it  is  today 
and  the  struggle  to  meet  the  annual  expenses 
and  plan  for  growing  needs  was  a  serious  one. 
The  student  body  generally  appreciated  the 
situation  and  followed  the  President  in  his 
efforts  to  win  friends  and  money  with  intelli- 
gent interest  that  never  flagged.  Yet  through 
it  all,  I  think  we  had  rather  the  feeling  that 
Dr.  Cheney  would  be  equal  to  things  and 
there  was  always  a  general  rejoicing  over 
every  success  gained. 

"  As  is  natural,  however,  I  recall  with  great- 
est pleasure  Dr.  Cheney's  attitude  toward  the 
higher  education  of  women,  for  in  this  he  was 
far  in  advance  of  his  times.  Indeed,  he  was 
one  of  the  few  men  of  his  own  generation  who 
not  only  believed  in,  but  rejoiced  in  every- 
thing that  tended  to  give  women  equal  oppor- 
tunities with  men  and  I  was  often  impressed 
with  the  pleasure  he  showed  in  their  public 
work. 

"  To  Dr.  Cheney's  broad  views  and  innate 
fairness  on  this  subject  is  largely  due  the  suc- 
cess of  co-education  at  Bates  and  her  daugh- 
ters owe  him  more  than  they  can  ever  realize. 
I  remember  how  intensely  he  felt,  later  on, 
when  the  College  world  discussed  the  advis- 
ability of  changing  the  basis  of  co-educational 
Colleges  and  placing  the  women  in  annexes. 

"  It  seemed  to  him  an  injustice  and  he 
promptly  made  public  his  own  position  in 
regard  to  the  policy  of  Bates.  He  urged  me, 
as  one  of  the  earlier  alumnae  to  write  an 
article  for  our  denominational  paper  The 
Morning  Star  and  left  no  stones  unturned  to 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  229 

prevent  any  possible  agitation  of  the  subject 
in  our  own  College. 

"So  fully  was  he  in  sympathy  with  the 
ideas  which  prevail  in  the  educational  world 
today  in  regard  to  women  that  were  he  with 
us  now  he  would  in  no  way  have  to  readjust 
his  views  or  do  away  with  prejudices  in  order 
to  be  again  a  leader." 

Letters  sent  him  by  erring,  repentant  students 
show  how  tenderly  as  well  as  firmly  he  dealt  with 
them  and  prove  how  fully  he  was  trusted  as  the 
student's  friend. 

It  is  also  true  that  the  Professors  and  the  Presi- 
dent were  in  such  harmony  of  thought  in  building 
up  the  Institution  that  Dr.  Cheney  was  all  the 
while  expressing  his  life  and  purpose  through 
their  service.  Among  the  people  at  large,  who 
knew  little  of  the  inner  life  of  the  school,  Presi- 
dent Cheney  stood  as  the  embodiment  of  Bates 
College,  and  it  was  well  that  a  person  of  so  strong 
and  pleasing  a  personality  should  thus  represent 
it  during  the  first  forty  years  of  its  life. 

DIVINITY   SCHOOL   TEACHERS 

Prof.  John  Fullonton,  D.D.,  was  now  nearing 
the  close  of  his  most  valuable  service  as  Dean  of 
the  Divinity  School  and  the  Institution  honored 
him  by  raising  a  fund  to  found  the  Fullonton 
Professorship.  Rev.  J.  A.  Howe,  D.D.,  who  had 
already  given  to  the  school  some  valuable  years 
of  service,  succeeded  Professor  Fullonton  as 


230  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Dean ;  Professor  Thomas  H.  Rich,  the  eminent 
Hebrew  scholar,  held  the  position  of  Professor  of 
Hebrew  ;  and  later  in  1894,  Professor  B.  F.  Hayes, 
D.D.,  gave  the  whole  of  his  scholarly  service  to 
this  department. 

J.  L.  H.  Cobb  Esq.,  had  given  to  the  College 
a  generous  sum  of  money  and  in  recognition  of 
this  the  theological  department  was  named  Cobb 
Divinity  School. 

CATHOLICITY   AND    COSMOPOLITAN    CHARACTER    OF 
BATES 

During  the  whole  history  of  the  school  there 
have  been  among  the  students  representatives  of 
different  races,  including  the  negro  race.  Presi- 
dent Cheney's  sympathy  for  all  mankind  was 
shown  in  his  deep  gratification  at  their  successes, 
and  their  warm  appreciation  of  his  kindly  interest 
expressed  itself  through  letters  and  personal 
thanks.  To  illustrate  we  give  extracts  from  a 
personal  letter  received  from  Professor  N.  C. 
Bruce,  class  of  1893. 

RALEIGH,  N.  C.,  Feb'y.  n,  1898. 
MY  DEAR  PRESIDENT,  DR.  CHENEY: 

Tomorrow  is  the  birthday  of  our  great 
emancipator  and  the  fact  has  set  me  to  thinking 
over  others  like  your  honored  self,  who  also 
suffered  and  bore  insults  and  shame  back  in  those 
dark  days  when  it  cost  so  much  to  speak  or  sing 
or  pray  for  the  American  Slaves,  We  of  this 
generation,  will  never  know  how  much  you  and 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  231 

others  of  your  venerable  age  have  done  towards 
opening  up  the  highways  along  which  we  now 
walk  so  freely.  But  some  of  us  will  dedicate  our- 
selves to  truth  and  the  work  of  helping  others  as 
you  and  other  pioneers  worked  so  nobly  for  me 
and  mine.  How  often  have  I  remembered  with  a 
grateful  heart  the  kind  words  you  have  spoken  to 
me  and  the  substantial  favor  you  bestowed  in  the 
hour  of  my  sorest  need !  God  will  bless  you. 
Perhaps  it  is  enough  to  say  about  myself  to  tell 
you  that  God  is  using  me  in  ways  apparently  help- 
ful, both  in  class  room,  in  religious  work  and 
among  the  masses.  Our  oldest  boy's  name  is 
Bates  Shaw  Bruce  and  he  is  no  dull  "chap." 
God  bless  you  forever  and  forever. 
Yours  most  faithfully, 

N.  C.  BRUCE. 

Although  the  College  had  been  founded  with 
the  purpose  of  making  it  a  blessing  to  the  Free 
Baptist  denomination  and  it  had  continued  to  be 
such,  Catholicity  of  spirit  had  so  permeated  its 
life  as  to  make  students  of  all  religious  beliefs  feel 
unhampered  in  their  convictions  and  in  honest 
development  of  thought  during  their  courses  of 
study.  Students  of  several  Protestant  denomi- 
nations, Catholics  and  Hebrews  were  members  of 
the  same  class  in  1902. 

When  the  Young  Men's  and  the  Young  Women's 
Christian  Associations  began  their  organized 
work  in  Colleges,  Bates  gave  a  ready  response 
and  branch  Associations  among  the  young  men 
and  young  women  have  been  strong  religious 
factors  in  College  growth. 


232  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Throughout  the  history  of  the  College,  debat- 
ing had  been  made  prominent.  As  early  as  1865, 
Prof.  J.  Y.  Stanton  encouraged  the  students  in 
debating  among  themselves  and  his  interest  and 
encouragement  helped  debates  to  become  a  dis- 
tinctive feature  of  the  College. 

Among  those  who  received  this  training  during 
the  earlier  College  years,  are  men  occupying  high 
positions  as  College  Presidents,  in  the  ministry, 
in  the  legal  profession,  and  in  honorable  service 
to  their  country.  Thus,  long  before  the  Inter- 
collegiate Debates  began,  Bates  College  students 
were  having  practical  training  in  that  line.* 

THE    STUDENT    BODY 

The  fact  that  many  of  the  Bates  students  had 
been  teachers  previous  to  entering  upon  their 
College  course  brought  to  the  student  body  an 
especially  self-dependent,  reliable  class  of  young 
people. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  founding  the 
Seminary  and  afterwards  the  College,  President 
Cheney  had  in  mind  helpfulness  to  just  such 
young  people,  such  as  wanted  to  help  themselves ; 
and  the  terms  were  arranged,  so  as  to  give  a  long 
vacation,  extending  from  before  Thanksgiving 
until  after  New  Years.  This  enabled  energetic, 

*At  this  date,  June,  1907,  Bates  has  had  the  honorable 
record  of  having  been  victor  in  fifteen  out  of  the  seventeen 
Intercollegiate  Debates  in  which  the  College  has  taken 
part. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY 


ambitious  students  to  teach  winter  schools  with 
so  little  loss  of  time  from  the  following  term  that 
they  could  make  up  their  studies  and  keep  on 
with  their  classes,  at  the  same  time  that  they  were 
helping  solve  the  financial  problem  of  their  edu- 
cation. 

The  success  of  these  teachers  soon  made  the 
College  the  source  to  which  School  Committees 
turned  for  supplies  not  only  in  Maine  but  in 
neighboring  states.  The  experience  thus  gained 
and  the  opportunities  offered  for  high-class  work 
led  many  students  to  choose  teaching  as  a  pro- 
fession ;  and  the  fact  is  accounted  for  that  Bates 
graduates  occupy  so  many  important  positions  not 
only  in  schools  in  Maine  but  throughout  the 
country.* 

Hazing  in  its  rougher  forms  had  been  so  firmly 
and  wisely  dealt  with  by  the  College  faculty  as  to 
be  practically  eliminated  ;  but  College  sports  were 
encouraged  and  entered  into  with  such  zest  that 
the  Bates  teams  have  ever  proved  worthy  com- 
petitors in  games  with  other  Colleges. 


•When  the  National  Educational  Association  was  held 
in  Boston  in  1903,  Hates  College  had  more  graduates  among 
the  teachers  attending  than  any  other  Institution  except 
Harvard. 


NEW  ENGLAND  FREE  BAPTIST 
ASSOCIATION 

GENERAL  CONFERENCE  INCORPORATED 

GENERAL  CONFERENCE  AT  HARPER'S 
FERRY 

PRESIDENT   CHENEY  MODERATOR 
HIS  POLITICAL  SAGACITY 


XXI 

Reference  was  made  in  chapter  thirteen  to  the 
effort  to  incorporate  General  Conference  in  the 
sessions  of  1865  and  1868.  At  each  succeeding 
session,  the  measure  had  been  brought  up  for  con- 
sideration only  to  be  voted  down,  though  by  a 
steadily  lessening  majority.  When  it  failed  to 
pass  in  the  General  Conference  of  1880,  it  seemed 
to  Dr.  Cheney  that  the  best  good  of  the  denomi- 
nation, especially  in  the  eastern  part,  required  the 
organization  of  a  New  England  Association. 

There  already  existed  Central  and  Western 
Associations,  which  were  aiming  to  advance  and 
concentrate  denominational  interests  in  their  res- 
pective localities,  but  the  New  England  churches 
were  without  any  centralized  power. 

After  some  agitation  of  the  matter,  Dr.  Cheney 
called  a  meeting  at  Ocean  Park,  Maine,  of  those 
interested  in  the  movement  and  the  New  England 
Association  of  Free  Baptist  Churches  was  organ- 
ized with  Dr.  Cheney  as  President.  This  position 
he  occupied  during  the  life  of  the  body. 

Although  the  charter  was  not  obtained  until 
1891,  annual  meetings  were  held  and  the  Asso- 
ciation increased  in  strength  and  effectiveness  and 
would  have  proved  of  much  value,  had  it  not  been 
that  the  incorporation  of  General  Conference  in 


238  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

1892  caused  all  the  Associations  to  transfer  to  it 
their  divided  responsibilities. 

GENERAL  CONFERENCE  INCORPORATED 

At  the  time  of  the  General  Conference  at 
Marion,  Ohio,  in  1886,  sympathy  with  securing  a 
more  effective  denominational  organization  had 
increased  to  such  an  extent,  that  the  provisional 
Conference  Board  of  seven,  of  which  Dr.  Cheney 
had  continued  Chairman,  was  instructed  to  take 
immediate  steps  to  secure  the  incorporation  of  the 
body.  Dr.  Cheney  proceeded  to  secure  a  charter 
from  the  Maine  Legislature  and  at  the  next 
General  Conference  at  Harper's  Ferry,  in  1889, 
it  was  adopted,  subject  to  the  endorsement  of  the 
Yearly  Meetings. 

WOMEN    ADMITTED    TO    GENERAL    CONFERENCE 

This  General  Conference  was  notable  for  an- 
other thing.  Although,  among  Free  Baptists, 
women  had  previously  occupied  every  other  posi- 
tion in  the  gift  of  the  church,  they  had  never 
been  elected  as  delegates  to  General  Conference. 
Such  representation  had  been  under  discussion  in 
other  denominations.  So  eminent  a  person,  in 
every  way  so  well  qualified,  as  Frances  Willard 
had  been  refused  a  seat  to  which  she  had  been 
elected  in  the  highest  body  of  her  denomination. 
All  at  once  the  sense  of  fair  play  among  Free 
Baptists  seemed  to  awaken,  resulting  in  the  sending 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  239 

of  a  number  of  women  as  delegates  to  the  General 
Conference  of  1889. 

Dr.  Cheney  was  once  more  elected  Moderator. 
Rev.  N.  C.  Brackett,  Ph.D.,  says  of  his  service: 

"Though  seventy-three  years  of  age,  there 
was  not  the  slightest  sign  of  failing  power, 
but  he  showed  himself  still  a  master  of  parlia- 
mentary law  and  a  model  presiding  officer."* 

His  gentlemanly  tactfulness  was  never  better 
shown  than  in  the  at-homeness  which  the  women 
delegates  felt,  as  they  received  from  the  presiding 
officer  full  recognition,  without  being  given  any 
undue  prominence. 

Dr.  Cheney  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  new 
Conference  Board  and  at  the  meeting  of  the 

•Dr.  Bracket!  says  further:  "  A  conversation  I  had  with 
him  after  the  adjournment  of  the  Conference  seems  to  me 
worth  publishing.  We  were  discussing  the  political  situa- 
tion. Harrison  was  President,  but  Congress,  in  which  the 
Republicans  had  but  a  slender  majority,  had  not  met.  I 
expressed  doubt  whether  Congress  would  be  able  to  pass 
any  political  measures  on  account  of  the  filibustering  of 
the  powerful  minority.  Dr.  Cheney  said  : '  I  think  it  will. 
Tom  Reed  will  probably  be  speaker  of  the  House.  If  he 
is,  I  believe,  from  what  I  know  of  the  man,  he  will  establish 
new  rules  for  the  House.  He  will  count  a  quorum  when  a 
quorum  is  present  whether  they  vote  or  not.  It  is  the 
right  thing  to  do  ;  the  majority  should  rule  and  I  believe 
Tom  Reed  has  the  courage  to  do  it,  though  I  haven't  had 
one  word  of  conversation  with  him  about  it.'  It  was  a  new 
idea  to  me,  but  when  Congress  met,  I  found  that  Dr. 
Cheney  was  still  a  prophet  of  political  events. 

"There  was  more  truth  than  compliment  in  the  words  of 
Mr.  Blaine  when  he  said:  'If  Dr.  Cheney  was  in  politics, 
there  is  no  man  in  Maine  whom  I  should  more  fear  as  a 
rival  for  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate.'  " 


240  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Board  at  Ocean  Park  in  1892,  he  reported  a  con- 
stitution for  its  government  and  guidance  which 
was  adopted,  with  modification.  He  then  saw 
the  culmination  of  a  movement  which  he  had 
been  advocating  and  for  which  he  had  been  work- 
ing during  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

This  incorporated  body  gives  to  Free  Baptists 
an  admirable  system  of  church  co-operation,  bring- 
ing as  it  does,  all  the  church  benevolences  under 
the  direction  of  General  Conference,  acting 
through  a  Conference  Board.  As  the  delegates  to 
General  Conference  are  elected  by  the  churches 
through  the  Yearly  Meetings,  it  preserves  to  the 
individual  members  a  voice  in  all  denominational 
transactions. 


EX-PRESIDENT  CHENEY 

IMPORTANT  PLANS  UNCOMPLETED 

HOME  COMPANIONSHIP 

TESTIMONIAL  BANQUET 


XXII 

It  had  long  been  Dr.  Cheney's  purpose  to  resign 
as  College  President,  at  the  end  of  forty  years  of 
service.  As  the  time  approached,  there  came  to 
him  a  deep  realization  of  his  inability  to  do  for 
the  Institution  a  tithe  of  what  he  saw  was  needed. 
But  he  hoped  to  accomplish  three  things :  One 
was  to  add  to  the  College  resources  by  the  endow- 
ment of  the  President's  chair.  This  seemed  likely 
to  be  realized  by  promised  gifts  from  personal 
friends  and  members  of  the  Cheney  family. 

Another  hope  was  to  secure  to  the  College  an 
Observatory  on  Mt.  David,  a  height  near  the 
campus  and  well  adapted  for  the  purpose.  He 
had  secured  the  provisional  gift  of  the  site.  The 
promise  of  the  money  with  which  to  build  seemed 
so  sure  that  several  meetings  were  held  to  arrange 
definite  plans. 

But  the  need  which  then  seemed  greatest  to  the 
President  was  a  Hall  for  the  use  of  the  young 
women.  Bates  College  had  had  the  remarkable 
record  of  having  graduated  sixty  young  women, 
without  having  had  a  woman  in  the  Faculty,  or  a 
building  devoted  to  their  use. 

It  is  a  high  compliment  to  those  girls  that  they 
had  maintained  such  a  high  grade  of  character 
and  scholarship  without  anything  being  done  for 
their  special  needs.  Perhaps  the  College  may  be 


244  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

said  to   have   occupied  an  attitude  toward  them 
something  like  this : 

"  When  this  College  was  founded,  there  was 
no  thought  of  your  wanting  higher  education. 
We  are  having  all  we  can  do  to  provide  for 
the  general  needs,  without  making  especial 
provision  for  you.  At  the  same  time,  there 
is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  have  the 
same  advantages  as  the  boys,  if  you  want  to 
take  your  chances." 

But,  with  increasing  numbers  of  young  women 
applying  for  admission,  the  President  saw  that  a 
woman  Dean  and  a  building  for  their  use  were 
becoming  a  necessity. 

Some  thousands  of  dollars  were  secured  towards 
the  former  need  and  something  had  been  pledged 
for  the  latter  and  it  was  the  President's  hope  to 
see  the  building  erected  before  his  term  expired. 

But  time  waits  neither  for  human  needs  and 
hopes  nor  changing  conditions.  Owing  to  unfore- 
seen circumstances,  serious  business  reverses,  and 
especially  to  the  sudden  death  of  the  man  who 
was  to  give  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars 
towards  the  endowment  of  the  President's  Chair, 
these  movements  were  delayed,  and  the  year  1894 
came  while  they  were  still  in  embryo. 

For  the  man  who  had  lived  so  intensely,  who 
had  seen  future  possibilities  so  plainly  and  who 
had  so  seldom  been  obliged  to  relinguish  a  pur- 
pose without  seeing  its  fulfillment,  it  was  not  easy 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  245 

to  lay  down  his  work  with  these  and  other  great 
needs  unsupplied,  but  he  was  strong  in  patience 
and  he  met  the  experience  bravely.  He  carried 
out  his  purpose  of  twenty  years  before,  and  took 
for  his  Baccalaureate  text  "  then  the  full  corn  in 
the  ear." 

On  September  22nd,  just  forty  years  from  the 
day  when  the  "  vision  of  duty  "  came  to  him  in 
his  Augusta  home,  he  yielded  to  a  son  of  the 
College,  Prof.  George  C.  Chase,  the  work  of  con- 
tinuing what  he  had  begun.  Prof.  Chase  had 
already  carried  much  of  the  President's  burden  in 
his  absence  and  had  had  marked  success  in  rais- 
ing money  for  the  Institution. 

The  inauguration  exercises,  when  President 
Cheney  laid  down  the  work  and  President  Chase 
took  it  up,  reminded  one  of  a  summer  night  in  the 
far  north  when  the  waning  light  of  one  day 
mingles  with  the  deepening  glow  of  the  coming 
one. 

In  closing  his  retiring  address,  President  Cheney 

said : 

"  This  is  to  me  such  an  experience  as  few 
can  fully  understand.  My  life  and  my  all 
have  been  identified  with  this  College.  But 
in  the  battle  of  life  the  time  comes  to  all  men 
to  put  off  the  armor.  For  some  years,  I  have 
purposed  to  do  so  at  the  end  of  the  forty 
years'  service  which  closes  today.  If  there 
remains  a  longing  to  bring  back  my  young 
manhood,  I  cannot  help  it.  I  have  walked 
this  hall  at  midnight  and  wept  when  times 


246  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

were  dark.  On  a  retired  spot  in  the  adjoin- 
ing grove  I  have  prayed  when  no  earthly 
help  seemed  available.  There  is  not  a  tree 
or  building  or  spot  on  this  campus  but  seems 
a  part  of  myself.  Reverently  I  commit  all 
the  precious  trusts  which  I  now  resign  to  the 
care  of  our  Father  in  heaven,  whose  love 
never  faileth. 

"Sir  (addressing  Governor  Dingley),  you 
have  had  many  honors.  I  trust  you  will  feel 
that  one  more  is  added  in  being  called  upon 
in  behalf  of  the  Trustees  of  the  College  to 
seat  Prof.  George  C.  Chase  in  the  chair  I  now 
vacate.  These  keys,  the  emblem  of  my 
authority  for  so  many  years,  I  now  surrender 
to  you,  for  you  to  place  in  his  hands  as  the 
emblem  of  his  authority. 

"The  new  President  has  my  best  wishes 
and  prayers.  For  years  he  has  been  in  my 
thought  as  my  successor.  I  bespeak  for  him 
the  united  support  of  the  trustees,  the  faculty, 
the  students,  the  alumni,  and  all  the  friends 
of  the  Institution.  May  God  bless  and  pros- 
per him  and  the  dear  College." 

Hon.  Nelson  Dingley,  Jr.,  then  arose  and  re- 
ceived the  keys  from  Dr.  Cheney,  whom  he 
addressed  in  terms  of  highest  appreciation  for 
his  long  and  successful  years  of  toil  for  the  Col- 
lege, of  the  noble  character  of  the  Institution  he 
had  founded,  and  of  the  enduring  place  he  holds 
in  the  hearts  of  her  sons  and  daughters.  He  said  : 

"  Dr.  Cheney :  In  receiving  in  behalf  of 
the  corporation  the  keys  which  you  have 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  247 

surrendered  as  a  token  of  your  retirement  from 
the  position  of  the  Presidency  of  Bates  Col- 
lege, I  should  do  injustice  to  my  own  feelings 
as  well  as  to  the  feelings  of  my  associates,  if 
I  did  not  express  to  you  not  only  our  regret 
at  the  sundering  of  the  ties  which  have  so 
long  united  you  with  this  Institution,  but 
also  our  deep  appreciation  of  the  inestimable 
value  of  your  services  to  Bates  College  and 
the  cause  of  the  higher  education. 

"  The  forty  years  during  which  you  have 
been  laboring  to  promote  the  interests  of  this 
Institution  of  learning — the  first  nine  during 
its  chrysalis  seminary  condition,  and  the  last 
thirty-one  in  its  more  mature  collegiate  state 
— cover  not  only  the  working  years  of  a  long 
and  exceptionally  busy  life,  but  also  the  most 
eventful  period  in  the  history  of  the  republic, 
and  mark  most  wonderful  strides  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  higher  education  in  this  country. 

"  It  is  only  a  coincidence  that  this  period 
happens  to  be  the  same  length  of  time  in 
which  the  Israelites  were  prepared  in  the 
wilderness  for  grand  and  heroic  service  under 
the  leadership  of  the  great  Hebrew  lawgiver 
and  statesman.  Yet  to  my  mind  God's  hand 
no  more  surely  set  apart  Moses  for  leadership 
in  the  great  work  of  educating  the  Israelites 
up  to  the  standard  which  he  designed  for  the 
Hebrew  nation,  than  his  hand  set  apart  Oren 
B.  Cheney  in  1854  to  do  a  great  work  for 
education  in  that  denomination  with  which 
he  was  connected,  and  in  whose  life  he  has 
borne  so  distinguished  a  share. 

"This  is  not  the  time  nor  the  place  to 
tell  from  the  standpoint  of  the  historian  and 


248  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

biographer  the  story  of  your  great  work  for  the 
Maine  State  Seminary  and  Bates  College,  Dr. 
Cheney.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  when  this 
story  shall  be  told  as  fully  as  it  deserves  (for 
you  have  only  modestly  touched  its  edges), 
it  will  present  a  record  of  patient  toil,  un- 
wearied devotion,  persistent  endeavor,  remark- 
able utilization  of  every  opportunity,  and 
wonderful  success  under  the  most  discourag- 
ing conditions,  such  as  has  rarely  been 
recorded  even  in  this  land  of  small  beginnings 
and  wonderful  growths. 

"  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  every  brick 
of  this  building  in  which  we  are  assembled 
today,  every  brick  of  yonder  buildings,  was 
laid  with  means  secured  through  your  efforts. 
These  grounds,  selected  under  your  eye,  tell 
the  story  of  your  unwearied  labors.  With 
the  eye  of  a  faith  in  the  future  of  this  College 
which  saw  the  bright  lining  beneath  the  dark 
cloud,  you  have  seen  the  morning  light  break- 
ing while  others  have  discerned  only  dark- 
ness. We,  your  associates  in  the  corporation, 
wish  that  your  years  and  strength  were  equal 
to  the  work  which  remains  to  be  done.  But, 
as  it  is,  we  have  reluctantly  accepted  your 
resignation  of  the  office  of  President  of  the 
College,  whose  duties  you  have  so  long  and 
successfully  discharged,  with  the  knowledge 
that  in  your  retirement,  in  which  you  will 
have  our  best  wishes  for  your  continued 
health  and  prosperity,  you  will  still  have  in 
your  heart  the  welfare  of  this  Institution." 

During    Congressman    Dingley's    address    to 
President  Chase,  he  said  :******** 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  249 

"  Who  is  able  to  estimate  the  beneficent 
influence  of  the  nearly  700  graduates  who 
have  gone  forth  from  Bates  College  alone  in 
the  thirty-one  years  in  which  President 
Cheney  has  been  at  its  head — gone  forth  as 
educators  either  in  the  school,  the  pulpit,  or 
the  press ;  or  participants  in  the  activities  of 
our  modern  life  as  engineers,  electricians, 
chemists,  or  business  men ;  or  as  leaders  in 
public  life  !  And,  above  everything  else,  all 
imbued  with  a  Christian  idea  of  life  and 
government. 

"Bates  College  was  the  first  of  our  higher 
institutions  of  learning  to  open  her  doors  on 
equal  terms  to  women — a  distinction  which 
entitles  her  to  a  proud  position  in  the  col- 
leges of  our  land.  Whatever  doubt  the  edu- 
cational world  may  have  had — as  it  did  have 
thirty  years  ago — of  the  wisdom  of  this  step 
has  been  dissipated  by  this  result.  Imitating 
the  noble  Roman  matron,  Bates  points  to  the 
seventy-seven  women  who  have  so  succesfully 
pursued  the  regular  curriculum  of  study,  in 
part  under  your  instruction,  Mr.  Chase,  and 
made  their  mark  in  the  world." 

HOME   COMPANIONSHIP 

It  was  probably  well  for  Dr.  Cheney  now  that 
he  had  a  companion,  to  sympathize  with  and  help 
him.  Two  years  before,  on  July  5,  1892,  he  had 
been  united  in  marriage  with  Kmeline  S.  (Aid- 
rich)  Burlingame. 

For  many  years  their  interests  had  been  identi- 
cal in  Christian  and  reformatory  work.  Both  had 


250  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

lived  very  strenuous  lives  in  devotion  to  such 
work.  Both  were  "  weary  in  the  march  of  life  " 
and  the  clasping  of  hands  steadied  and  strength- 
ened both. 

BANQUET   AND    RECEPTION 

Expression  was  given  of  the  appreciation  of 
what  President  Cheney  had  done  for  the  twin 
cities  of  Lewiston  and  Auburn  in  founding  Bates 
College  by  a  banquet  and  reception,  tendered  him 
by  prominent  citizens  of  those  cities. 

The  large  banquet  hall  was  filled  with  represent- 
ative people.  Senator  Wm.  P.  Frye  presided. 
He  read  letters  of  regret  and  appreciation  from 
Congressman  Dingley,  who  was  attending  the 
fortieth  reunion  of  his  own  class  at  Dartmouth, 
and  from  President  Hyde,  who  was  detained  by 
the  duties  of  Bowdoin  Commencement. 

Speaking  in  his  usual  felicitous  style,  Senator 
Frye  then  referred  beautifully  to  President 
Cheney's  consecrated  life,  saying  he  did  not  know 
what  the  world  would  have  done  had  it  not  been 
for  the  men  and  women  who  have  conceived  great 
purposes  for  humanity  and  then  have  given  their 
lives  to  their  execution. 

In  illustration,  he  told  the  touching  story  of 
Father  Duncan,  who  was  the  sage,  the  prophet 
and  the  saviour  of  a  community  on  one  of  the 
Alaskan  Islands.  He  then  referred  tenderly  to 
Father  Damien,  the  priest  who  gave  his  life  to 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  251 

ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  Hawaiian  lepers, 
and  who  died  at  last,  himself  a  leper,  as  he  knew 
he  must.  His  example  inspired  many  volunteers 
to  follow  him  and  each  gave  his  life  willingly  to 
the  cause. 

"Our  guest  tonight  was  a  young  man  of 
fine  family  and  good  education.  He  could 
have  made  a  success  in  business  and  become 
rich,  for  he  had  the  ability ;  he  could  have 
obtained  political  honors,  for  they  were  with- 
in his  grasp ;  he  could  have  been  a  social 
leader,  for  he  had  the  elements  of  success  in 
that  line,  but  instead  he  devoted  himself  to 
the  interests  of  his  church — one  of  the  small- 
est of  the  denominations  and  which  by  reason 
of  its  radical  position  in  reform  movements 
and  its  conservative  attitude  towards  edu- 
cation held  a  unique  position  of  its  own. 

"  He  settled  in  a  small  pastorate  in  Maine, 
but  his  talents  and  peculiar  gifts  for  his  work 
were  early  recognized  and  he  was  called  to  a 
church  in  Maine's  capital  city.  He  was  soon 
at  home  here,  loved  and  respected,  doing 
what  he  liked  best  to  do,  preaching  the  gospel 
of  love.  In  this  congenial  work  he  might 
have  continued  as  long  as  he  pleased. 

"  But  with  fine  foresight  he  saw  the  great 
future  need  of  an  institution  for  higher  edu- 
cation, such  as  was  not  then  existing  among 
Free  Baptists  in  New  England;  and  our 
guest  of  the  evening  decided  to  leave  his 
pastorate  and  the  delightful  associations  that 
he  loved  better  than  anything  else  in  the 
temporal  world,  and  seek  to  embody  his  ideals 


252  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

in  an  institution  of  learning  which  should  not 
only  be  a  greatly  needed  blessing  to  Free 
Baptists,  but  should  invite  all  youth  to  its 
benefits,  male  and  female,  black  and  white. 

"  He  left  his  parish  and  to  this  noble  work 
he  has  devoted  his  entire  life.  He  was  no 
bigot,  no  sectarian,  only  a  lover  of  man  and 
a  believer  in  education.  Thank  God,  that  he 
has  been  permitted  to  live  to  see  such  success 
crown  his  efforts  ! 

"  Our  guest  brought  to  this  work  unusual 
ability,  high  ideals,  foresight,  great  perse- 
verance, shrewdness,  patience.  He  was  a 
handsome  man.  He  is  seventy-nine  years 
old  and  is  the  best  looking  man  in  the  room 
tonight.  I'll  leave  it  to  Mrs.  Cheney  if  he 
isn't." 

Senator  Frye  then  spoke  of  President  Cheney's 
success  in  raising  money  and  very  cleverly  told 
a  story  about  introducing  him  to  Senator  Leland 
Stanford ;  and  how,  when  invited  to  Governor 
Stanford's  home  in  Washington,  President  Cheney 
did  not  beg  for  money  but  just  made  himself 
agreeable,  and  how,  by  his  personality  he  so 
charmed  the  Senator  and  his  wife  that  unsolicited 
Govenor  Stanford  gave  President  Cheney  a  check 
for  $1,000,  saying  that  he  knew  that  all  colleges 
needed  money. 

Senator  Frye  then  told  how,  later,  Governor 
Stanford  came  to  him  and  said : 

"  That  Dr.  Cheney  !  He  was  a  most  charm- 
ing man  !  I  have  sold  a  colt  for  $7,500.  I 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  253 

want  five  hundred  dollars  for  pocket  money. 
Give  the  seven  thousand  to  Dr.  Cheney." 

The  Senator  closed  this  introductory  address 
with  an  eloquent  testimonial  to  President  Cheney's 
consecrated  life  and  work. 

Many  other  appreciative  addresses  were  made 
and  the  whole  affair  was  very  successful. 


THE  SUNSET  SLOPE 

A  SURPRISE  PARTY 

CALIFORNIA  TRIP 

AT  HOME  IN  LEWISTON 


•  Iff 


XXIII 

For  those  who  are  only  interested  in  the  large 
affairs  of  life,  this  story  is  closed.  But  for  the 
friends  of  Dr.  Cheney  and  for  all  who  wish  to 
follow  the  life-study  through  the  tender  incidents 
associated  with  old  age,  there  is  more  to  follow. 

Several  years  before  this,  in  a  time  of  great 
financial  stress  President  Cheney  had  deeded  to 
the  College  his  house  and  land.* 

This  was  with  a  proviso  that  he  have  the  use 
of  it  during  his  lifetime,  but  it  now  seemed  best 
to  him  and  his  wife  to  relinquish  its  use  to  the 
College  and  they  waived  their  claim  to  it. 

While  Dr.  Cheney  retained  his  citizenship  in 
Lewiston  and  seldom  lost  his  vote  there,  during 
the  next  few  years,  he  spent  much  time  at  his 
wife's  homestead  in  Pawtuxet,  R.  I.,  in  quiet 
study  and  home  companionship.  During  this  time 
he  took  the  Chautauqua  course  of  readings  and 
was  one  of  the  graduates  in  the  class  of  1900. 

This  life  frequently  alternated  with  travel  and 
attendance  at  large  meetings.  While  at  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  in  1895,  he  heard'  of  the  sudden  death 
of  Frederick  Douglass.  He  easily  obtained  tickets 
for  the  church  and  the  attendance  at  the  funeral 


*  Following  an  eloquent  appeal  to  the  Trustees  made  later 
by  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  they  gave  back  to  the  President 
a  house  lot  from  this  land. 


258  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

was  a  never-to-be-forgotten  privilege.  The  elo- 
quent addresses  by  President  J.  E.  Rankin,  mem- 
bers of  Congress  and  others,  the  fine  appearance 
of  the  representatives  of  the  colored  race  who 
packed  the  church,  the  sea  of  dusky  faces  in  street, 
windows  and  on  house  tops — all  these  spoke  elo- 
quently for  the  departed  and  there  was  no  one 
who  rendered  a  more  heartfelt  tribute  than  Dr. 
Cheney,  for  he  had  all  his  life  recognized  the 
truth  that  God  "  hath  made  of  one  blood  all 
nations  of  men." 

A  SURPRISE  PARTY 

In  1899  on  Dr.  Cheney's  eighty-third  birthday, 
Mrs.  Cheney  planned  for  him  a  surprise  party  at 
their  Pawtuxet  home.  Entirely  unsuspicious  as 
to  what  was  to  happen,  he  went  down  to  meet  the 
first  arrivals  in  dressing-gown  and  slippers,  say- 
ing :  "  It  is  only  some  of  the  boys  " — his  favorite 
term  for  the  Bates  graduates.  When  he  saw 
another  group  coming  up  the  walk,  the  situation 
dawned  upon  him  and  giving  his  wife  an  arch 
look,  he  retreated  and  soon  reappeared  in  his 
usual  careful  attire. 

About  fifty  persons  were  present  including  most 
of  the  Bates  graduates  in  Rhode  Island  and  other 
College  and  family  friends.  The  exercises  were 
very  appropriately  presided  over  by  Arthur  Given, 
D.D.,  one  of  the  first  Bates  graduates. 

Because    the    letters    sent   for    that    occasion 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  259 

contain  the  best  obtainable  estimate  of  the  man 
whose  life-study  we  are  telling,  we  append  full 
extracts. 

The  first  represents  his  Alma  Mater.  After 
referring  appreciatively  to  one  of  Dr.  Cheney's 
brothers  as  his  teacher  and  to  another  as  his 
intimate  personal  friend,  Rev.  W.  J.  Tucker,  D.D., 
President  of  Dartmouth  College,  says : 

"  I  cannot  allow  such  an  occasion  to  pass 
by  without  extending  to  you  personally  and 
from  the  Trustees  and  graduates  of  Dart- 
mouth College,  our  heartiest  greetings.  We 
look  with  honor  and  pride  upon  the^  work 
which  you  have  accomplished  in  behalf  of 
education  and  religion.  Few  men  among  our 
graduates  have  laid  such  wide  foundations, 
or  built  so  securely  as  yourself.  I  doubt  if 
you  can  see  your  work  in  the  same  proportion 
that  those  can  who  have  a  different  per- 
spective. May  I  assure  you  that  the  College 
of  your  early  training  joins  with  the  College 
of  your  later  service  in  most  sincere  con- 
gratulations." 

The  Free  Baptist  denomination  was  represented 
by  Rev.  G.  H.  Ball,  D.D.,  who  says: 

"  I  am  thanking  God  that  you  were  ever 
born  and  have  made  so  much  of  life.  Few 
men  in  centuries  have  done  so  well.  Your 
courage,  tact,  persistency  and  success  in 
planting  Bates  College  are  simply  sublime. 
Had  you  been  surrounded  by  men  who  saw 
the  need,  forecast  the  benefits  and  possessed 


260  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

the  means  and  courage  to  give  the  effort 
strong  support,  you  would  have  deserved 
great  credit,  but  to  have  engineered  the  work 
and  forced  success  in  spite  of  the  very  oppo- 
site of  these  conditions  was  more  than  heroic. 
*  *  *  Your  strong  efforts  for  Storer  College 
still  thrill  me.  The  '  railroad  to  the  moon  ' 
has  proved  a  through  route  to  glory  to 
thousands  of  benighted  souls." 

President  G.  C.   Chase,  LL.D.,   wrote  both  as 
President  of  Bates  College  and  as  an  alumnus : 

"  It  hardly  seems  possible  that  it  has  been 
thirty-nine  years  since,  as  a  boy  of  sixteen,  I 
first  saw  you,  then  in  the  prime  of  manhood, 
and  subsequently  recited  to  you  in  the  Latin 
reader  and  grammar.  Among  all  my  recol- 
lections of  teachers,  none  are  more  pleasant 
than  those  of  you.  I  recall  the  light  in  your 
kindly  eyes  when  a  correct  answer  was  given 
to  a  difficult  question.  You  were  an  enthu- 
siastic teacher  and  much  of  my  subsequent 
liking  for  language  study  was  the  taste  for  it 
that  I  developed  under  your  instruction. 

"  I  remember  too,  the  kind  letter  that  you 
wrote  to  my  parents  urging  that  I  had  given 
evidence  of  scholarly  ambition  and  ability. 
Our  College  was  then  unborn  unless  it  were 
already  in  your  brain,  but  the  Seminary  was 
reaching  the  culmination  of  its  fame  and  use- 
fulness. You  had  the  wisdom  and  the  courage 
not  to  be  the  enemy  of  the  better.  You  relin- 
quished a  shining  success  to  enter  upon  a 
work  so  laborious,  perplexing,  and  unremit- 
ting that  never  for  one  moment  afterwards 
could  you  enjoy  freedom  from  care. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  261 

"  I  have  been  impressed  of  late  even  more 
than  ever  before  by  the  dauntless  courage 
that  conceived  and  carried  to  success  an 
enterprise  in  which  good  men,  your  associates 
and  counsellors,  saw  only  folly,  illusion  and 
failure.  Our  generation  will  never  know  how 
almost  alone  Dr.  Cheney  kept  on  with  his 
great  life  work,  undisturbed  by  opposition 
and  rebuke.  Many  generations  will  have 
passed  away  before  the  vast  and  far  reaching 
results  of  that  work  will  be  fully  appreciated. 
But  all  over  our  land  there  are  even  now 
rising  up  hundreds  and  thousands  to  bless 
the  name  and  cherish  the  memory  of  the 
founder  of  Bates  College." 

Dec.  10,  1899. 

The  College  Faculty  were  represented  by  Prof. 
J.  Y.  Stanton : 

"  I  learn  that  it  is  your  eighty-third  birth- 
day. On  account  of  your  temperate  and 
wisely  regulated  life  you  are  so  well  preserved 
and  look  so  much  as  you  did  when  you  were 
a  young  man  that  one  can  scarcely  think  of 
old  age  in  connection  with  you.  I  know  of  no 
man  in  regard  to  whom  the  remark  of  Cicero 
can  be  better  applied,  '  The  weight  of  a  re- 
spected and  honored  old  age  is  easily  borne.' 

"  I  know  of  no  man  that  has  been  more 
successful  and  fortunate  in  life  than  yourself. 
You  began  and  have  lived  to  accomplish  a 
noble  work  which  perhaps  never  would  have 
been  undertaken  by  any  other  person.  You 
were  the  founder  of  an  Institution  whose 
benign  influence  will  be  almost  infinite  in 


262  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

extent.     This   influence   will    be   exerted    to 
your  honor  as  long  as  time  lasts." 

Mrs.  Kate  Prescott  Cox,  class  of  '91,  represented 
the  alumnae : 

"  I  wish  it  were  possible  for  all  your  friends 
to  meet  you  and  take  your  hand  on  this 
occasion.  What  an  assembly  there  would 
be  !  I  am  sure  no  house  could  hold  all  who 
would  gladly  come.  But  many  of  the  absent 
ones  will  think  of  you  with  loving  and  grate- 
ful remembrances. 

"  There  are  few  men  who  can  look  back  on 
such  a  life's  work  as  you  have  accomplished. 
You  have  placed  within  the  reach  of  a  great 
many  young  people,  both  young  men  and 
young  women,  an  opportunity  of  securing  a 
liberal  education,  which  they  never  could 
have  had  but  for  your  efforts  and  self-sacri- 
fices. 

"This  in  itself  would  be  enough  to  call 
forth  our  grateful  homage  today,  but  when 
we  reflect  that  it  was  from  your  hand  that 
the  first  woman  graduate  from  a  New  England 
College  received  her  diploma,  we  feel  that 
what  you  have  done  for  woman's  education 
should  receive  particular  mention. 

"  As  one  of  the  Alumnae  of  Bates  College 
let  me  say  that  we  appreciate  this  honor 
bestowed  upon  our  Alma  Mater  by  her 
founder  and  former  president." 

The  Treasurer  of  Bates  College,  Addison  Small, 
sent  this  greeting : 

"  I  wish  I  could  find  words  adequate  to 
express  my  feelings  and  good  wishes  for  you 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  263 

on  this  occasion.  In  the  first  place,  I  would 
like,  if  possible,  to  give  expression  to  my 
sincere  gratitude  for  what  you  have  done 
for  me.  You  founded  the  Maine  State  Semi- 
nary. The  establishment  of  that  Institution 
incited  in  me  a  desire  to  acquire  an  educa- 
tion and  rendered  it  possible  for  me  to  do  so. 
"You  have  had  many  trials  during  your 
life  and  you  have  borne  heavy  burdens  for 
others.  I  gained  some  knowledge  of  what 
these  burdens  were  when,  for  a  few  years,  we 
endured  together  the  trials  of  raising  the 
money  for  the  College  and  suffered  the  vexa- 
tions of  the  Belcher  and  Hedge  will  trials. 
I  experienced  just  enough  of  them  to  realize 
in  some  small  degree,  what  you  must  have 
borne  in  the  early  days  of  the  College." 

Maine    State    Seminary   students    were    rep- 
resented by  Mrs.  Addison  Small : 

"The  many  expressions  of  your  abiding 
interest  in,  and  friendship  for  me  and  mine, 
have  made  your  life,  my  dear  friend,  mean 
much  to  us.  I  thank  you. 

"  Your  larger  interest  in  all  mankind — your 
unselfish  efforts  to  benefit  others,  the  patience 
and  perseverance  you  have  practised  through 
your  long  life,  make  me  say  '  Thou  art  a 
King  among  men.' " 

Rev.  E.  B.  Stiles  and  wife  speak  for  the  Foreign 
Missionaries: 

"  We  wish  to  express  our  love  for  one  who 
has  been  so  intimately  related  to  our  lives, 
as  President  of  our  College  when  we  were 


264  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

students,  as  President  of  the  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Society  when  we  were  appointed  to  India, 
as  a  kind  friend  and  sympathetic  adviser  at 
all  times." 

Dr.  A.    T.    Salley,  pastor   of    the    Main   Street 
Church,  Lewiston,  sends  this  greeting  : 

"  When  the  educational  idea  dawned  upon 
my  boyish  mind,  you,  Dr.  Cheney,  were  the 
one  man  in  New  England  to  whom,  because 
of  your  commanding  position  in  educational 
circles,  my  mind  turned  for  advice  about  a 
collegiate  course.  This  advice  was  cheerfully 
given  and  most  fortunately  followed.  The 
result  was  seven  very  happy  and  profitable 
years  in  Bates  College  and  Theological  School. 
And  this  collegiate  work  has  had  much  to  do 
in  determining  my  life's  career  and  in  giving 
me  whatever  small  measure  of  success  has 
fallen  to  my  lot. 

"  During  these  seven  years  you  were  an 
inspiration  to  me  and  your  words  of  advice 
and  encouragement  helped  urge  me  on  to  the 
consummation  of  my  hopes.  For  all  this  I 
thank  you. 

"  For  all  you  have  been  in  the  church  of 
Christ,  as  an  earnest  preacher,  pastor  and 
leader  during  so  many  years ;  for  your  emi- 
nent service  in  the  educational  world,  to 
which  Bates  College  is  a  splendid,  enduring 
monument ;  and  for  all  the  helpful  influences 
which  have  gone  out  from  your  life  to  bless 
our  world,  the  Main  Street  Free  Baptist 
church  of  Lewiston  joins  with  me  in  express- 
ing their  profound  appreciation." 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  265 

The  following  brief  extract  from  the  testimonial 
from  Mrs.  M.  M.  H.  Hills  embodies  the  thought 
in  many  other  letters: 

"  Words  can  give  you  but  a  very  faint  idea 
of  the  high  esteem  and  veneration  your  noble 
life  and  unselfish  labors  have  begotten  in  my 
heart,  so  I  will  attempt  no  such  effort.  No 
sincerer  friend  will  greet  you  today.  '  The 
Lord  bless  thee  and  keep  thee.' " 

Mrs.  V.  G.  Ramsey,  a  life-long  friend,  wrote 
thus,  tenderly : 

Brother  beloved,  what  honors  shall  we  bring 

Before  thy  feet  to  lay  ? 
What  gifts  bestow,  what  lofty  peansing 

That's  worthy  of  the  day  ? 

Thy  natal  day  ! — We  thank  our  dod  who  made 

This  day  with  blessings  rife, 
And  through  the  fourscore  years,  in  sun  and   shade, 

Has  glorified  thy  life. 

We  come  with  reverent  love,  to  offer  thee — 
Not  costly  gems,  nor  gold, — 

They  are  too  poor — our  inmost  hearts  must  be 
Thine  own  to  have  and  hold  ! 

We  know  thy  toils  and  cares —  a  leader  thou 
On  many  a  hard  fought  field  ! 

A  victor's  wreath  may  justly  crown  his  brow, 
Who  never  learned  to  yield. 

A  generous  friend,  a  wise  and  faithful  guide 

To  young,  unwary  feet ! 
Thousands  today,  with  grateful  joy  and  pride, 

Thy  honored  name  repeat. 

And  now,  when  past  the  noontide  toil  and  heat, 

And  shadows  gather  round, 
The  holy  hush  of  twilight  is  most  sweet. 

The  evening  peace  profound. 


266  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

And  nearer  draw  the  city's  shining  wall 

And  crystal  gates  ajar  ; 
From  blissful  bowers  long  silent  voices  call, 

And  beckon  thee  afar. 

Tho'  bright  the  immortal  shore,  yet  still  we  pray 

That  God  will  bid  thee  wait, 
And,  making  evening  fairer  than  the  day, 

Accord  thee  entrance  late. 

The  pleasant  social  intercourse  about  the  festive 
board  was  a  fitting  close  to  a  delightful  affair 
which  shed  its  brightness  over  many  wintry  days. 

CALIFORNIA    TRIP 

Two  years  later  circumstances  favored  Dr. 
Cheney's  taking  a  long  desired  trip  to  the  Pacific 
Coast.  On  the  way,  a  few  weeks  were  spent  at 
Nogales,  a  border  town  in  Arizona.  The  party 
arrived  there  late  Saturday  night.  Early  Sunday 
morning  Dr.  Cheney  was  astir,  apparently  un- 
fatigued,  and  said,  "  I  will  go  to  some  little  church 
service  today  where  I  shall  be  unobserved." 
What  was  his  surprise,  on  entering  a  little  adobe 
church,  to  have  the  pastor  approach  him  with 
outstretched  hands,  saying : 

"  Isn't  this  President  Cheney  ?  I  am  Mr.  Reud  a 
Bates  man." 

This  happy  experience  was  one  of  many  that 
attended  the  whole  trip. 

One  evening  the  family  amused  themselves  by 
making  phonographic  records.  When  Dr. 
Cheney's  turn  came,  he  began  his  with :  "  A 
million  dollars  for  Bates  College." 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  267 

This  border  mining  town  of  Nogales  had  great 
interest  for  him,  in  collecting  facts  at  the  Custom 
House,  and  in  going  over  the  Mexican  border  and 
observing  the  old-time  customs  and  dress,  made 
familiar  by  his  childhood  pictures.  On  his 
eighty-fifth  birthday  he  climbed  a  nearby  moun- 
tain and  standing  by  a  boundary  stone  obtained 
an  extended  view  in  both  countries. 

He  continued  his  trip  to  the  coast  with  high 
anticipations  of  obtaining  funds  for  the  College. 
As  he  crossed  the  beautiful  bay  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  Oakland,  he  stood  like  a  victor  with  form 
erect  and  head  thrown  back,  realizing  a  life-long 
wish  in  looking  out  upon  an  arm  of  the  Pacific. 

The  trip  had  been  an  ovation.  At  different 
points  on  the  way  "  Bates  boys "  had  met  and 
entertained  him  and  now  at  Professor  Meade's 
hospitable  home,  he  received  calls  from  teachers, 
ministers  and  missionaries  who  expressed  grate- 
ful appreciation  for  what  Bates  had  done  for  them. 
Beyond  his  greatest  expectation  he  had  found 
fruitage  from  his  seed  sowing. 

Possibly  the  excitement  was  too  much.  One 
morning,  the  tired  body  warned  him  that  his 
service  was  nearly  over.  His  plans  for  further 
travel  and  raising  money  were  abandoned.  As 
soon  as  able  he  returned  as  far  as  Phenix,  Ari- 
zona, where  he  was  under  the  tender  care  of  a 
Christian  physician,  who  had  known  of  his  life 
and  work  and  who  showed  the  deepest  interest 


268  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

in  him.  While  here  his  faculty  for  being  con- 
nected with  first  things  had  another  illustration. 
He  was  much  excited  when  informed  that  the 
flag  which  led  the  troops  to  victory  up  San  Juan 
hill  in  the  Spanish-American  war  was  made  in  the 
room  he  was  occupying  in  the  Mills  House  ;  and 
that,  in  honor  of  this,  President  and  Mrs.  McKin- 
ley,  when  on  their  trip  across  the  country,  in  pass- 
ing in  a  procession  through  Phenix,  rose  in  their 
carriage  and  saluted  the  house. 

AT    HOME    IN    LEWISTON 

A  few  weeks  later  he  was  located  in  Lewiston, 
where  quietly  and  restfully  he  spent  his  remaining 
months,  under  the  shadow  of  the  College  that  he 
loved.  As  he  reviewed  his  life  during  these  de- 
clining months  he  saw  so  plainly  the  possibilities 
and  needs  for  future  development  of  a  strong 
Institution  that  he  often  said,  "  I  have  laid  only  a 
few  foundation  stones."  But  his  vision  was  clear 
as  to  these  needs.  At  the  last  Commencement 
which  he  attended,  in  1903,  his  brother,  Hon.  E. 
H.  Cheney  well  said  in  a  post-prandial  address : 
"  There  will  never  be  a  building  or  department 
added  to  Bates  College  that  this  man  has  not  had 
a  vision  of." 

Resting  one  day  on  the  Chapel  steps  he  pointed 
out  to  one  of  the  Professors,  different  locations 
where  building  after  building  ought  to  be  located. 

His  consciousness  of  his  own   limitations  was 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  269 

revealed  in  many  ways  during  these  months.  As 
one  illustration :  He  had  always  regretted  that 
he  was  not  a  more  magnetic  public  speaker  and  it 
throws  a  side-light  on  his  character  that  he 
seemed  to  derive  solid  satisfaction  from  his  wife's 
efforts  in  that  line,  appearing  to  feel  that  she  was 
in  a  measure  supplying  a  lack  in  himself.  When 
Mrs.  Cheney  returned  from  any  public  service, 
with  almost  childlike  eagerness  and  beaming  face, 
he  asked  to  hear  all  about  it,  what  had  been  said, 
the  impression  it  made  and  what  had  been  said 
about  it,  and  would  often  clap  his  hands  with 
pleasure. 

Foibles  ?  Yes,  he  had  them  for  he  was  human. 
His  friends  knew  and  condoned  them.  But  con- 
sidering that,  during  twelve  years  of  closest  rela- 
tions, the  writer  never  once  heard  him  refer  to  a 
fault  in  any  member  of  his  family,  brothers, 
sisters,  children  or  grandchildren,  and  seldom  in 
anyone,  we  accord  him  the  same  gracious  silence. 


REFLECTED  SUNSHINE 

BATES  ROUND  TABLE  CELEBRATES 

DR.  CHENEY'S   EIGHTY-SEVENTH 

BIRTHDAY 

AT  REST 


XXIV 

During  his  many  years  of  travel,  President 
Cheney  had  been  a  guest  in  a  great  many  homes. 
During  the  last  months,  when  the  stress  of  life 
was  over,  he  loved  to  refer  to  the  friendships  thus 
formed  and  the  kindness  shown,  and  often  re- 
peated stories  with  which  he  had  been  wont  to 
brighten  the  homes  entertaining  him. 

If  an  accident  happened  in  the  home  and  there 
was  danger  that  some  one  would  be  reproved,  he 
would  divert  attention  by  asking,  "  Did  you  ever 
hear  about  the  man  who  started  to  go  for  water 
to  a  spring  in  the  cellar  ?  Well,  he  stumbled 
and  fell  down  the  stairs.  His  wife  rushed  to 
the  door  and  asked  eagerly,  '  John !  John !  did 
you  break  the  pitcher?'  'No,  but  I  will,'  John 
answered,  dashing  it  against  the  stone  wall." 
When  the  story  was  ended  the  recent  mishap  was 
forgotten. 

Or,  if  he  heard  anyone  lamenting  about  some- 
thing forgotten  or  neglected  he  would  remind  him 
of  the  woman,  whose  first  exclamation  after  break- 
ing her  leg  was,  "  Oh,  what  a  massy  it  is  that  I 
made  soap  yesterday  !" 

Reclining  on  his  couch,  in  a  sunny  bay  window, 
through  papers,  magazines  and  books  he  kept  in 
close  touch  with  the  life  of  the  world. 

Prof.  Bachelder, of  Hillsdale  College,  once  said: 


276  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

asked.  As  the  names  were  announced  one  after 
another,  he  stated  accurately  the  political  party 
to  which  each  belonged. 

When  the  cloud  had  apparently  settled  finally 
over  his  consciousness  and  members  of  the  family 
were  resting,  they  were  hastily  called  to  his  bed- 
side, by  hearing  him  exclaim,  "  What  is  that  ?  " 
"Only  a  little  brandy  and  water,"  replied  the 
nurse.  "  I  will  not  take  it,"  he  said  with  startling 
intensity.  He  did  not.  It  almost  seemed  as  if 
he  came  back  from  the  other  world  to  give  a  final 
protest  against  that  which  all  his  life  he  had 
opposed  as  a  beverage  and  had  never  tasted. 

An  hour  later  an  ineffable  smile,  then  rest 
eternal!  The  simple  funeral  service  was  the 
tribute  of  friends  and  associates  in  College  and 
church.  The  beautiful  floral  offerings  were  ar- 
ranged by  the  loving  hands  of  former  students, 
and  the  most  touching  tribute  of  all  was  a  beauti- 
ful piece,  sent  by  a  colored  woman,  formerly 
employed  in  his  home.  When  remonstrated  with 
for  wishing  to  pay  so  large  a  sum  of  money  for 
the  offering,  she  said  earnestly: 

"I  want  to.     He  did  so  much  for  my  race." 

In  a  beautiful  cemetery,  overlooking  the  broad 
Androscoggin,  the  form  rests ;  but  O.  B.  Cheney 
lives  in  hundreds  of  useful  lives,  in  well-organized 
Christian  work  and  in  the  nation  to  which  he  ever 
tried  to  be  a  blessing. 

Each   summer,   at   Ocean   Park,  a  benign  -face 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  277 

looks  over  the  audiences  gathered  in  the  Temple ; 
at  Storer  College,  the  same  kindly  face  greets  the 
freedmen  students  gathering  there  from  year  to 
year — these  pictures  being  gifts  expressing  the 
love  of  daughters.  In  the  beautiful  new  Coram 
Library  building  at  Bates,  there  hangs  a  large 
portrait  of  the  revered  first  President,  placed  there 
by  the  alumni ;  and  all  these  seem  to  say  to  the 
beholders :  "  Influence  is  immortal.  Live  not 
alone  for  the  good,  but  for  the  best,  even  though 
you  stand  alone." 


After-word 


The  life-story  presented  in  this  book  has  been 
mainly  from  the  view-point  of  the  author.  It  is 
now  proposed  to  add  estimates  of  work  and 
character,  gleaned  from  many  sources  and  written 
from  the  individual  points  of  view  occupied  by  the 
writers. 

There  will  necessarily  be  some  repetition  of 
facts  and  opinions  already  given,  and  estimates 
will  be  made  differing  but  little  from  each  other, 
but  varying  in  expression  according  to  the  in- 
dividuality of  the  person  giving  them. 

A  large  volume  might  be  filled  with  such  testi- 
monials, but  these  will  suffice. 

E.  B.  C. 

From  an  address  given  by  Prof.  A.  W.  Anthony, 
D.D.,  at  the  Bates  Round  Table,  held  at  Dr. 
Cheney's  home  on  the  evening  of  his  eighty- 
seventh  birthday  : 

"  To  be  the  file-leader  in  the  march  is  not 
always  more  honorable  than  to  follow  steadily 
and  firmly  in  the  line,  although  the  first  man 
not  unusually  receives  the  greater  attention 
and  commendation.  In  initiating  enterprises, 
however,  there  is  a  certain  excellence  in 
vision  and  in  courage,  which  the  follower,  be 
he  ever  so  sagacious  and  efficient  as  a  fol- 
lower, does  not  ordinarily  possess.  '  First 
things,'  also,  have  a  certain  isolation  from 
environment,  at  least  on  one  side,  and  are 


282  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

consequently  thrown  into  a  greater  promi- 
nence. About  them  is  a  charm,  if  not  a  halo, 
which  the  many  in  succession  do  not  share. 
To  have  had  a  hand  in  initiating  many  enter- 
prises, even  if  not  a  formative  influence  in 
every  case,  gives  a  distinction  to  a  man. 

"  It  has  been  the  fortune  of  the  man  whose 
birthday  we  celebrate  tonight  to  initiate  an 
unusual  number  of  movements,  some  of  a  for- 
tuitous character,  others  indicative  of  his  own 
foresight,  energy  and  determination. 

"If  the  list  of  'first  things,'  with  which 
O.  B.  Cheney  was  connected,  was  expanded 
into  a  full  account  of  the  collateral  and 
associated  ideas,  a  considerable  history  would 
be  written  of  many  important  events  and 
movements  in  the  Free  Baptist  denomination, 
in  the  life  and  enterprise  of  New  England,  in 
the  development  of  educational  and  ecclesias- 
tical institutions,  and  in  the  larger  undertak- 
ings which  reach  far  and  wide  in  many  parts 
of  the  world  for  the  uplift  and  blessing  of 
humanity. 

"  In  1824,  when  a  mere  lad,  Oren  B.  Cheney 
attended  the  first  Sunday  School  held  in  the 
northern  part  of  New  Hampshire.  When 
still  a  boy,  he  laid  sheet  by  sheet  the  pulp 
from  which  the  paper  was  made  on  which  the 
first  issue  of  The  Morning  Star,  the  denomi- 
national organ  of  the  Free  Baptists,  begun  in 
1826,  was  printed.  This  was  the  paper  on 
which  he  afterward  did  no  little  editorial 
work. 

"  The  first  school  founded  and  maintained 
by  Free  Baptists  had  Oren  B.  Cheney  enrolled 
upon  the  opening  day  as  a  pupil.  This  was 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  283 

at  Parsonsfield,  Maine,  where  subsequently 
that  same  pupil  became  principal  of  the 
seminary. 

"While  at  Parsonsfield  as  a  student,  he, 
with  others,  organized  a  temperance  society, 
which  is  believed  to  be  the  first  school  society 
in  the  world,  the  pledge  of  which  prohibited 
fermented,  as  well  as  distilled,  liquors. 

"  Mr.  Cheney  was  present  at  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Free  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary 
Society ;  he  was  a  member  of  the  convention 
which  organized  the  Free  Baptist  Education 
Society ;  he  helped  organize  the  Free  Soil 
Party ;  he  founded  Lebanon  Academy ;  he 
voted  for  the  first  prohibitory  law  as  intro- 
duced in  the  Maine  Legislature  by  Neal 
Dow ;  he  founded  the  Maine  State  Seminary, 
which  afterwards  became  Bates  College,  and 
in  inaugurating  and  caring  for  this  chief 
institution  of  his  solicitude,  he  also  inci- 
dentally, had  a  formative  hand  in  founding 
Maine  Central  Institute  at  Pittsfield,  Maine, 
and  Storer  College  at  Harper's  Ferry,  West 
Virginia.  He  gave  the  first  diploma  that  was 
ever  received  by  a  woman  graduate  from  a 
New  England  College. 

"  In  Maine  he  helped  consolidate  the  three 
Yearly  Meetings  of  Free  Baptists  into  the  one 
strong  Maine  Free  Baptist  Association,  which 
is  now  so  effective  in  the  state ;  he  also  aided 
in  the  founding  and  developing  of  Ocean 
Park  Association  and  Assembly,  and  was  the 
first  president  of  the  Ocean  Park  Association, 
the  organization  which  maintains  in  the  town 
of  Old  Orchard  a  summer  settlement,  with  lect- 
ures, conventions  and  classes  of  a  Chautauqua 


284  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

character.  In  the  denomination  at  large 
he,  with  Rev.  G.  H.  Ball,  D.D.,  of  New  York, 
initiated  the  plans  which  finally  resulted  in 
the  formation  of  a  legally  incorporated 
General  Conference  of  Free  Baptists,  into 
which  as  a  central  body  have  been  merged 
the  functions  of  the  Free  Baptist  Foreign 
Missionary  Society,  the  Free  Baptist  Home 
Mission  Society,  the  Free  Baptist  Education 
Society,  the  Free  Baptist  Sunday  School 
Union  and  the  Free  Baptist  Temperance 
Society.  Through  his  instrumentality  women 
were  admitted  to  membership  on  the  Foreign 
Mission  Board  and  later  as  delegates  to  the 
General  Conference  of  Free  Baptists.  He 
led  his  brethren  in  championing  this  cause. 
"  In  his  later  years  it  has  seemed  to  be 
almost  a  genius  with  Dr.  Cheney,  in  a  quiet, 
unobtrusive  way,  to  adjust,  simplify  and 
solidify  organization.  His  foresight  and 
vision,  his  shrewd  common  sense  and  practi- 
cal wisdom,  his  devotion  of  time  and  effort 
have  been  wrought  into  many  permanent 
forms  which  his  followers  will  continue  to 
employ,  even  when  the  file-leader  is  out  of 
sight." 

From  an  article  in  The  Morning  Star  of  No- 
vember i,  1894,  referring  to  Dr.  Cheney's  resig- 
nation as  President  of  Bates  College,  signed 
"  Pilgrim :  " 

"  In  the  excellent  address  of  President 
Cheney,  at  the  inauguration  of  the  new 
President  of  Bates  College,  occur  these  words, 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  285 

4  If  there  is  a  longing  to  bring  back  my  young 
manhood,  I  cannot  help  it.' 

44  Probably  there  are  very  few  who,  were 
the  choice  theirs,  would  desire  to  live  their 
lives  a  second  time,  for  every  life,  however 
happy  and  prosperous,  has  many  sad  experi- 
ences that  no  one  would  wish  repeated.  But 
at  this  time,  when  the  very  pulse  of  this  old 
world  beats  responsively  to  the  march  of 
progress,  when  even  earth  and  sky  are  expos- 
ing their  long  buried  treasures,  and  new 
truths  are  constantly  developing,  one  can 
hardly  fail  to  desire  that  the  wheel  of  time 
might  be  turned  backward,  that  in  the 
strength  and  freshness  of  youth  he  might 
enter  the  arena  and  participate  once  more  in 
its  stirring  scenes. 

44  It  were  strange  indeed,  if  in  a  life  devoted 
for  forty  long  years  to  one  object,  as  has  been 
that  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch — an  object, 
moreover,  in  the  accomplishment  of  which  he 
has  been  so  eminently  successful — as  he  steps 
aside  to  yield  to  another  the  charge  so  dear 
to  his  heart,  there  should  be  no  regrets  for 
the  vanished  years,  no  longing  for  the  vigor 
and  strength  of  young  manhood. 

44  No  one  not  cognizant  of  the  struggles 
incident  to  the  founding  of  Maine  State 
Seminary,  and  particularly  of  the  discourage- 
ment and  trials  consequent  on  the  proposi- 
tion to  change  the  seminary  to  a  college,  can 
appreciate  the  quiet  persistency  (a  persist- 
ency characteristic  of  some  of  the  world's 
noblest  heroes)  of  the  man,  who  standing 
almost  alone,  amid  opposition  on  every  side, 
never  faltered  in  his  purpose.  Loving  the 


286  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

denomination  of  his  choice  with  a  love  of 
which,  it  is  feared,  most  of  us  know  little,  and 
firmly  believing  a  Free  Baptist  college  a  vital 
necessity  to  the  highest  welfare  of  that  de- 
nomination, he  stood  firm  as  a  rock,  though 
friends,  loved  and  honored,  saw  only  disaster 
and  disappointment  in  his  plans.  Had  he 
been  one  whit  less  persistent  Bates  College 
had  had  no  existence.  When  one  thinks  of 
the  seven  hundred  young  men  and  women 
who  have  left  its  halls,  many  of  them  inspired 
with  a  noble  ambition  to  make  of  life  a  suc- 
cess in  the  highest  and  best  sense,  he  can 
realize  something  of  the  calamity  it  would 
have  been  had  a  weaker  man  been  at  the 
helm,  who  had  yielded  his  judgment  to  that 
of  his  colleagues. 

"  From  its  commencement  Bates  College, 
notwithstanding  its  poverty,  has  been  won- 
derfully successful.  Doubtless  this  is  in  part 
owing  to  the  noble  band  of  instructors  who 
from  the  first  have  blessed  the  institution ; 
but  far  more  to  the  fertile  brain  of  him  who 
constantly,  through  anxious  days  and  often 
sleepless  nights,  was  devising  plans  for  its 
advancement. 

"  A  noble  life  work  indeed  has  been  that 
of  the  founder  of  Bates  College.  The  beautiful 
and  touching  tribute  paid  to  the  retiring 
President  by  Congressman  Dingley  (a  man  of 
whom  every  dweller  of  the  Pine  Tree  State 
may  be  justly  proud)  is  as  truthful  as  it  is 
beautiful.  Long  may  his  words  be  remem- 
bered. Only  the  arithmetic  of  heaven  can 
compute  the  value  of  a  life  which  has  set  in 
motion  a  train  of  beneficent  influences  so 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  287 

far-reaching  in  their  results  that  eternity 
alone  can  measure  their  importance. 

"  And  now,  as  our  beloved  president  waits 
by  the  '  ingleside '  for  the  summons  to  other 
duties  and  responsibilities,  we  know  it  will 
be  no  idle  waiting.  Such  as  he  never  doff 
their  armor  till  the  mortal  is  changed  to 
immortality.  Bates  College  is  still  his,  the 
child  of  his  heart,  around  which  every  fiber 
of  his  being  twines.  Whatever  he  can  do  to 
advance  its  interests  will  be  gladly,  cheer- 
fully done. 

"And  as  the  years  go  on,  and  the  picture 
so  beautifully  painted  by  Bates's  new  Presi- 
dent becomes  a  reality  (as  it  surely  will), 
looking  down  from  the  battlements  of  heaven 
at  the  monument  fashioned  by  his  own  hands, 
and  beholding  it  ever  increasing  in  beautiful 
proportions  as  tier  after  tier  of  polished 
stones  is  added,  the  words  that  so  often  fell 
from  the  lips  of  its  sainted  founder  on  his 
earthly  journey,  as  some  bright  oasis  greeted 
his  weary  sight,  will  rise  in  sweeter,  loftier 
measures,  till  heaven's  arches  shall  ring  with 
the  glad  acclaim : 

"  Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow, 
Praise  him,  all  creatures  here  below ; 
Praise  him  above,  ye  heavenly  host, 
Praise  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost." 

As  one  of  a  series  of  articles  published  in  The 
Morning  Star  on  Free  Baptist  Pioneers  in  the  issue 
of  July  14,  1898,  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Stacy,  D.D., 
devotes  the  fourteenth  to  O.  B.  Cheney.  After 
reviewing  the  facts  of  his  life,  he  says : 


288  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"  The  spirit  which  made  him  a  pioneer 
among  our  people  in  getting  an  education  for 
himself  made  him  a  pioneer  in  securing  the 
opportunities  for  an  education  for  others. 
It  meant  faith  in  the  night,  patience  under 
criticism,  persistency  when  hope  had  fled, 
and  all  the  energies  of  his  remaining  public 
life,  but  to  this  he  was  consecrated ;  and 
inspired  by  a  consciousness  of  duty  he  went 
cheerfully  to  his  task.  ********** 

"  Dr.  Cheney  remained  at  the  head  of  the 
institution  until  he  resigned  on  the  twenty- 
second  day  of  September,  1894 — just  forty 
years  work  to  a  day.  From  its  beginning  it 
has  gone  steadily  forward,  increasing  in  at- 
tendance and  facilities,  gaining  favor  with 
the  public  and  making  its  impress  upon  the 
world,  until  it  stands  among  the  first  colleges 
of  the  state.  To  bring  such  an  institution 
into  existence,  to  shape  a  policy  for  it  that 
would  overcome  prejudice,  disarm  criticism, 
and  make  for  it  lasting  friends,  a  policy 
broad  enough  to  be  unsectarian,  deep  enough 
to  meet  the  approval  of  the  staunchest  Free 
Baptist,  to  make  it  the  first  college  in  New 
England  to  open  its  doors  to  men  and  women 
on  equal  terms,  to  carry  it  through  dis- 
couraging years,  to  rally  friends  again  and 
again  to  rescue  it  from  apparently  hopeless 
defeat — all  this  has  required  the  qualities  of 
a  Moses  and  an  Elijah,  qualities  that  Dr. 
Cheney  had,  and  which  he  so  used  for  an 
institution  that  when  he  delivered  the  keys 
to  his  successor  he  said,  '  There  is  not  a  tree 
or  building  or  spot  on  the  campus  but  seems 
a  part  of  myself.' 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  289 

"  Although  so  much  of  Dr.  Cheney's  own 
life  has  been  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the 
college,  he  has  found  opportunity  and  love  for 
other  service  to  his  denomination  and  the 
world.  Fifteen  times  he  has  been  a  delegate 
to  our  General  Conference,  fourteen  in  suc- 
cession, and  over  three  of  the  sessions  he  has 
presided.  He  has  been  our  representative  to 
the  General  Baptists  of  England,  and  to  other 
religious  bodies  in  this  country  and  the 
Provinces.  He  has  been  recording  secretary 
of  the  Foreign  and  Home  Mission  societies, 
president  of  the  Education  and  Anti-slavery 
societies,  and  was  president  of  the  Foreign 
Mission  Society  from  1886  to  the  time  that 
its  work  was  turned  over  to  the  Conference 
Board.  For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the 
assistant  editors  of  The  Morning  Star  when 
Wm.  Burr  was  editor.  It  was  through  his 
influence  that  John  Storer  was  led  to  give 
$10,000  for  the  founding  of  Storer  College. 
While  at  West  Lebanon  he  represented  the 
Whigs  and  Free  Soilers  in  the  Legislature  of 
1851-2,  and  voted  for  the  original  Maine 
temperance  law. 

*          *          *          ***** 

"What  has  been  the  secret  of  Dr.  Cheney's 
success  ?  If  it  would  not  appear  presumptu- 
ous for  me  to  express  an  opinion,  I  should 
say  that  this  success  has  been  largely  due, 
first,  to  early  Christian  training ;  second,  to 
an  early  experience  in  personal  relations  with 
God ;  and,  third,  to  a  willingness  to  be  led. 
Observation  and  experience  show  that  the 
best  teachers  are  those  willing  to  be  taught, 
and  the  best  leaders  are  those  willing  to  be 


290  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

led.  Growing  out  of  these  three  fundamental 
conditions  we  find  fidelity  to  conviction, 
manifest  not  only  in  connection  with  the 
great  work  of  establishing  the  college,  but  in 
relation  to  temperance,  the  anti-slavery  move- 
ment, and  other  reforms  of  the  past  fifty 
years.  We  also  find  among  the  leading 
characteristics  of  the  man,  industry  first,  last, 
and  always  prominent.  And  then  we  see 
gentleness  and  determination  hand  in  hand, 
rather  a  rare  combination,  but,  when  well 
constituted,  a  most  efficient  one.  It  is  worthy 
of  note  that  Dr.  Cheney's  most  aggressive 
work  has  not  been  accomplished  through  con- 
tention, forensic  debate,  or  artifice,  but 
through  frank  and  reasonable  persistency. 
It  shows  how  right  endeavor  for  what  is  right 
must  eventually  succeed.  It  always  appeared 
to  us  that  he  made  a  study  of  men,  and  that 
he  knew  how  to  make  good  use  of  what  he 
learned.  Reliance  upon  God  was  marked  in 
every  new  departure  and  every  trying  event. 
"  It  is  a  matter  of  just  pride  when  one  has 
passed  through  an  eventful  public  life  with 
no  stain  upon  the  character,  no  mark  of  dis- 
honesty, no  act  unworthy  a  Christian.  This 
is  true  in  his  case,  and  the  other  fact  also 
that  he  has  accomplished  much  that  will 
benefit  the  whole  world. 

The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  an  article 
written  by  N.  C.  Brackett,  Ph.D.,  a  short  time 
before  Dr.  Cheney's  death  and  later  published  in 
The  Lewiston  Sun : 

"Some  men  accomplish  their  purpose  ap- 
parently by  force.     Other  men  make  way  by 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  291 

their  imperious  will  power.  Dr.  Cheney  drew 
men  to  him  and  to  his  cause  by  love. 

"When  Wm.  Toothaker  of  Phillips  was 
counting  out  his  five  thousand  dollars,  he 
said,  '  Bro.  Cheney,  I  have  three  reasons  for 
giving  you  this  money.  I  think  it  will  please 
you,  please  the  brethren  and  please  the  Lord.' 

"  Dr.  Cheney  was  necessarily  in  some  hard 
fights,  but  he  was  not  a  fighter.  He  had 
neither  time,  strength  nor  inclination  to  fight 
those  who  opposed  his  plans.  He  simply 
pressed  on  with  his  work.  He  won  his 
victories  with  tears  rather  than  blows.  To 
abusive  letters  and  criticism,  he  seldom  made 
any  reply. 

"There  were  strong  and  good  men  in  the 
denomination  in  New  Erigland  who  did  not 
see  the  wisdom  of  his  course  in  making  a 
college  of  Maine  State  Seminary.  Probably 
they  were  more  numerous  than  those  who 
opposed  his  course  at  the  beginning,  but 
gradually  by  his  persistence  and  the  logic  of 
events,  they  were  won  over  to  consent  if  not 
to  active  co-operation.  One  of  the  secrets 
of  Dr.  Cheney's  success  was  his  ability  to 
sink  himself  in  his  cause.  He  was  never  self- 
assertive,  never  seemed  to  be  pushing  a 
theory  or  a  plan  because  it  was  his.  Few 
men  could  so  forget  themselves  in  a  cause  as 
Dr.  Cheney. 

"Though  a  man  of  strong  political  convic- 
tions he  never  aspired  to  figure  in  politics,  but 
his  native  foresight  and  clearness  of  convic- 
tion made  him  a  power  in  the  politics  of  both 
State  and  Nation.  More  than  one  position 
was  secured  under  the  State  and  National 


292  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Government  by  Dr.  Cheney,  while  the  world, 
and  possibly  the  recipient,  credited  it  mainly 
to  other  influences. 

"  Nature  gave  Dr.  Cheney  a  pleasant  voice, 
gentle  manners,  a  comely  form  as  well  as  a 
clear  intellect.  He  gave  to  the  church  of  his 
choice,  and  to  the  cause  he  espoused  a  sin- 
gleness of  purpose  and  such  rare  consecra- 
tion as  few,  very  few,  have  power  to  give. 
That  Dr.  Cheney  was  the  founder  of  Bates 
College  goes  without  saying.  But  few  insti- 
tutions are  so  fully  the  work  of  one  heart  and 
brain  as  Bates  College. 

"  For  almost  forty  years  from  the  time  of 
his  inception  of  the  scheme  to  found  a  semi- 
nary to  the  date  of  his  resignation,  more  than 
a  generation  from  the  small  beginning,  he 
had  planned  and  worked  and  prayed  for  the 
Institution. 

"  When  he  left  the  chair  that  he  had  filled 
so  long  and  honorably,  he  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  it  filled  by  one  of  his  own 
graduates,  and  the  man  of  his  choice,  while 
the  able  Faculty  had  been  selected  in  the  same 
way.  The  wisdom  of  his  selections  is  proved 
by  the  high  position  Bates  College  occupies 
today. 

"  Personally,  I  never  met  Dr.  Cheney  till  a 
few  months  before  the  opening  of  Maine 
State  Seminary,  though  I  had  for  years  been 
familiar  with  his  name  and  had  read  with 
deep  interest  the  articles  in  The  Morning  Star 
signed  O.  B.  C.  Since  that  time  I  have  met 
him  many  times  from  1857  to  1880  not  only 
as  a  student  at  the  Seminary,  but  at  our 
annual  and  triennial  gatherings  of  different 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  293 

organizations.  I  have  seen  him  in  hard 
places,  when  he  was  being  opposed  and 
criticised ;  sometimes  seen  him  the  victim  of 
cruel  blows  by  men  who  could  not  understand 
his  motives  or  did  not  approve  his  methods, 
but  never  once  in  these  years  have  I  seen 
him  strike  back. 

"Though  Dr.  Cheney  holds  a  very  high 
place  in  the  esteem  of  his  church,  and  of  the 
people  of  Maine  generally,  I  do  not  think 
the  greatness  of  his  services  to  the  church 
and  the  State  are  yet  appreciated. 

"  Jacob  Riis  characterizes  President  Roose- 
velt as  'The  man  who  does  things.'  The 
same  may  with  special  force  be  said  of  Dr. 
Cheney." 

Until  the  last  few  years  of  his  life  Dr.  Cheney 
was  called  upon  to  preach  many  occasional  ser- 
mons, as  for  instance,  that  at  the  Semi-Centennial 
of  the  Free  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society, 
and  it  seems  fitting  that  an  extract  be  given 
from  at  least  one  of  them. 

Because  of  its  bearing  on  present  day  problems, 
we  make  selections  from  a  sermon  delivered  at  a 
Convention,  held  in  Lawrence,  Mass.,  May  2, 
1877  ;  this  with  the  double  purpose  of  showing 
President  Cheney's  spirit  and  style  and  of  noting 
his  opinions  from  the  view-point  of  thirty  years 
ago: 

"The  committee  authorized  to  call  this 
convention,  in  inviting  me  to  read  a  twenty 
minutes  paper  has  assigned  me  as  a  subject, 
4 Denominational  Adhesiveness* 


294  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"'I  dwell  among  mine  own  people,'  said 
the  woman  of  Shunem  to  the  prophet  of  the 
Lord,  when  he  suggested  to  her  the  idea  of 
leaving  her  own  people  for  a  home  with 
another  people. 

" '  But  can  I  do  nothing  for  you,'  I  seem 
to  hear  him  say,  '  in  return  for  your  kindness 
to  me  ?  Wouldest  thou  not  be  spoken  for  to 
the  king,  or  to  the  captain  of  the  host  ? ' 

" '  No,  I  thank  you,  sir,'  I  seem  to  hear  her 
say  in  reply.  '  I  am  satisfied  with  my  station 
in  life.  There  may  or  there  may  not  be  honor 
in  it.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  I  am  simply  in 
the  place  which  God  in  his  providence  has 
assigned  me,  and  I  am  content  to  remain  in 
it.  Certainly,  I  am  happy  where  I  am — I 
find  work  enough  to  do,  and  my  happiness 
consists  in  being  at  work.  I  hope  I  am  of 
some  consequence  with  my  own  people.  I 
am  not  certain  I  should  be  of  any  with 
another  people.  I  trust  I  am  dear  to  my 
people,  but  one  thing  I  know,  my  people  are 
dear  to  me. 

" '  You  are  a  prophet  of  the  Lord,  sir,  and 
you  doubtless  mean  well  in  the  suggestion 
you  make,  but  great  men  do  not  always  advise 
others  the  most  wisely ;  so  please  go  your 
way  and  continue  to  perform  the  work  to 
which  your  Divine  Master  has  called  you, 
and  leave  me  to  worship  the  same  God  you 
worship  and  perform  services  for  Him  where 
I  am.  I  ask  no  more.  You  are  welcome  to 
all  my  kindnesses.' 

"  This  woman  is  called  a  '  great '  woman 
in  the  Bible,  and  she  is  a  great  woman 
on  the  page  of  history,  for  what  is  greatness 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  295 

but  to  be  decided  in  the  hour  when  decision 
is  called  for;  because  some  principle  or  pre- 
cious interest  is  at  stake. 

"  I  have  dwelt  among  the  people  repre- 
sented by  this  convention  for  more  than 
forty-two  years,  that  is,  I  have  been  a  mem- 
ber of  one  of  their  churches  for  that  length 
of  time.  I  have  really  dwelt  among  them 
from  a  child.  I  was  born  among  them  and 
though  they  are  not  a  perfect  people,  being 
like  all  other  Christian  people  in  this  respect, 
yet  knowing  that  they  have  made  great  prog- 
ress in  Christian  work,  and  believing  that 
they  are  on  the  road  to  still  greater  progress, 
I  am  content  to  remain  among  them ;  to  re- 
main to  share  their  joys  if  they  have  them, 
or  if  they  have  trials  and  burdens  to  bear,  to 
share  the  trials  and  help  bear  the  burdens, 
and  a  few  of  my  reasons  follow : 

"  i.  We  are  a  people  respectable  in  num- 
bers. It  is  true  we  are  a  small  people  when 
compared  with  some  denominations,  and  yet 
we  are  a  large  people  when  compared  with 
others. 

**  In  round  numbers  we  have  1400  churches, 
1400  ministers,  and  75,000  church  members. 
Our  membership  in  Maine  is  15,000,  and  I 
understand  that  the  Maine  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  has  estimated  our  con- 
gregations in  Maine  at  50,000  persons.  On 
this  estimate  our  entire  congregations  would 
number  250,000.  Now,  I  think  it  is  safe  to 
say  there  are  as  many  more,  that  if  reached 
at  all  by  religious  influences,  must  be  reached 
by  our  people — I  mean  this — that  if  they  are 
to  hear  the  gospel  preached  at  all,  they  must 


296  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

hear  it  from  the  lips  of  our  ministers  ;  if  their 
children  are  to  attend  any  Sunday  schools, 
they  must  attend  those  under  our  supervision. 
In  other  words  there  are  one-half  million  of 
people,  or  one-eightieth  of  the  whole  popu- 
lation of  the  country,  that  are  religiously 
under  our  special  influence,  and  for  whose 
moral  training,  we  as  a  denomination  are  re- 
sponsible, and  this,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
millions  in  heathendom.  I  care  not,  then, 
whether  we  are  called  or  whether  we  call  our- 
selves, small  or  great,  certain  it  is,  we  have 
upon  us  great  responsibilities — solemn  too 
they  are — and  so  great  and  so  solemn  that  we 
must  not  allow  ourselves  to  trifle  with  them. 

"  But  granting  that  we  call  ourselves  small, 
it  does  not  follow  that  we  ought  not  to  exist 
as  a  distinct  people  ;  that  in  God's  great  plan 
of  saving  men  there  is  no  more  need  of  us, 
we  have  no  mission  to  fulfill,  no  special  work 
to  perform.  Why  did  not  God  select  one  of 
the  larger  denominations  to  lead  the  way  in 
the  earlier  days  of  Anti-slavery  reform  ?  Why 
was  it  that  there  was  but  one  little  Star  to 
shine  in  the  black  heavens  of  those  days  ?  I 
do  not  known  unless  it  be  that  it  is  not  by 
might  or  by  power  but  by  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord. 

"The  civil  policy  under  which  we  live  is 
presented  as  a  model  government  for  the 
world ;  and  yet  it  recognizes  small  states  as 
well  as  large  ones  ;  Delaware,  Rhode  Island, 
and  New  Hampshire,  as  well  as  Ohio,  Penn- 
sylvania and  New  York ;  and  it  is  known 
that  the  government  never  could  have  been 
organized  without  this  recognition. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  297 

"One  thing  I  will  say  in  this  connection 
as  a  crumb  of  comfort  to  the  Uelawarean,  or 
the  Rhode  Islander,  or  the  man  of  the  Granite 
State,  that  while  the  man  of  Ohio,  or  Penn- 
sylvania or  New  York  dwells  amidst  more 
acres,  more  numbers,  and  more  wealth,  yet  he 
it  is,  the  man  of  the  small  state,  that  is  of 
the  more  consequence  in  the  body  politic — 
that  has  the  greater  political  influence ;  his 
vote  actually  counts  more. 

41  2.  We  have  great  interests  on  our  hands 
to  be  cared  for,  and  it  is  my  duty  to  help 
care  for  them.  We  have  academies,  semi- 
naries, colleges  and  theological  schools  that 
the  simple  moral  wants  of  society,  throwing 
our  existence  as  a  separate  religious  people 
entirely  out  of  the  question,  demand  should 
not  only  be  kept  alive,  but  should  be  brought 
quickly  into  a  more  vigorous  life,  and  yet  so 
far  as  we  can  see,  and  others  can  see  for  us, 
will  surely  cease  to  live  if  we  take  our  hands 
from  under  them.  Therefore,  every  minister 
who  leaves  us  gives  a  blow  to  our  institution 
at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  to  our  educational 
work  in  this  country  and  in  India.  He  may 
say  he  does  not  mean  to  do  this  thing,  but  he 
does  it  notwithstanding. 

44  God  compels  no  man  to  vow  unto  him, 
but  when  he  has  vowed,  he  will  hold  him  to 
pay  that  which  he  has  vowed. 

44  3.  There  are  new  fields  to  be  cultivated 
and  it  is  my  duty  to  help  cultivate  them. 
Our  first  duty,  as  it  seems  to  me,  is  to  put 
all  our  existing  interests  that  are  worthy  to 
live  into  a  good  and  healthy  condition.  This 
being  done,  we  shall  have  just  the  preparation 


298  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

we  need  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  lengthen- 
ing our  cords  and  bringing  new  lands  within 
our  enclosures  to  be  cultivated. 

"  4.  We  have  a  special  work  on  our  hands, 
the  consummation  of  the  union  of  all  liberal 
Baptists.  We  are  committed  to  an  effort  in 
this  direction  by  the  action  of  our  General 
i  Conference,  held  in  Strafford,  Vt.,  in  1833 — 
44  years  ago — and  by  the  action  of  several 
Conferences  held  since  that  time.  The  union 
of  The  Morning  Star  and  the  Baptist  Union 
commits  us  anew  to  such  an  effort.  We  are 
the  larger  liberal  Baptist  body,  and  therefore 
it  is  proper  and  to  be  expected  that  we  take 
the  initiative  in  bringing  about  a  union  which 
I  think  all  parties  interested,  acknowledge 
should  be  effected.  The  general  interests  of 
religion  require  that  this  union  should  be 
consummated,  and  this  within  a  reasonable 
length  of  time. 

"The  statistics  of  the  Liberal  Baptists  in  the 
United  States  and  British  Provinces  outside 
our  own  body,  I  have  not  at  hand,  but  the  num- 
ber consists  of  many  thousands.  Then  there 
are  25,000  in  England.  Now,  has  not  the  time 
fully  come  for  a  practical  union  of  all  Liberal 
Baptists  ?  Should  they  not  go  so  far  as  to 
meet  in  convention  once  in  five  years,  or 
what  might  be  better,  in  an  Association  regu- 
larly organized  ?  Should  not  their  statistics 
be  annually  published  in  one  book  ?  Our 
Register  is  good,  but  I  desire  to  see  some- 
thing better,  something  more  comprehensive, 
something  that  shall  do  justice  to  the  princi- 
ples and  work  which  we  represent.  Had  I 
not  been  called  so  suddenly  away  from 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  299 

Europe,  it  was  my  purpose  to  consult  with 
some  of  our  brethren  in  England  on  this  sub- 
ject. 

"5.  The  members  of  our  denomination 
should  remain  together  and  I  should  remain 
with  them,  because  that  which  many  desire, 
our  union  with  the  larger  Baptist  body,  will 
the  sooner  be  effected. 

"It  will  be  100  years  on  the  3oth  of  June, 
1880,  since  our  first  church  was  organized. 
It  was  at  New  Durham,  N.  H.,  and  the  church 
organized  there,  and  then  was  simply  a  Bap- 
tist church,  and  Rev.  Benjamin  Randall,  who 
organized  it,  was  simply  a  Baptist  minister, 
but  Benjamin  Randall  believed  in  a  general 
atonement.  He  was  an  Arminian,  not  a 
Calvinist,  and  the  origin  of  our  denomination 
lies  in  the  fact  that  '  he  did  not  preach  the 
doctrine  of  election  as  Calvin  held  it.' 

"We  are  to  bear  in  mind  that  Randall  did 
not  intend  to  found  a  new  denomination  any 
more  than  our  republican  fathers  intended 
to  establish  a  government  independent  of 
Great  Britain.  Our  fathers  were  led  in  a  way 
they  knew  not.  So  was  Randall.  The  course 
he  took  in  putting  himself  at  the  head  of 
another  Christian  people  was  not  one  of 
choice.  It  was  his  only  course  and  he  must 
be  justified  today  upon  the  page  of  history. 

"  Randall  desired  simply  to  be  let  alone, 
and  allowed  to  preach  the  gospel  as  he  be- 
lieved it,  and  because  this  was  not  conceded 
him,  we  are  here  today  in  this  Convention  as 
a  separate  people. 

"  But  shall  we  always  remain  a  separate 
people?  I  think  not.  Shall  we  ever  be 


300  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

reunited  with  the  larger  Baptist  body  ?  I  think 
we  shall  be.  Is  it  desirable  we  should  be  ? 
I  think  so,  provided  a  union  could  be  brought 
about  honorable  to  both  parties.  A  union 
certainly  would  prove  an  immense  saving  of 
men  and  money,  and  cause  many  a  village 
and  neighborhood  in  our  country,  now  a 
spiritually  barren  land,  to  '  bud  and  blossom 
as  the  rose.' 

"  We  all  admit  that  a  separation  for  such  a 
cause  could  not  be  now  effected.  If  this  case 
were  to  be  tried  again — and  this  in  our  day — 
there  would  be  a  different  verdict.  In  other 
words,  there  would  be  no  denomination  like 
ours  founded  on  the  question,  raised  in 
the  days  of  Randall,  for,  whatever  be  the 
creeds  of  Baptist  churches  or  the  doctrines 
taught  in  Baptist  Theological  Schools,  Bap- 
tist ministers,  so  far  as  I  know,  are  allowed 
to  preach  the  atonement  as  they  believe  it — 
what  Randall  was  not  allowed  to  do — and  in 
preaching  it,  they  preach  it  as  fully  and  as 
freely  as  Randall.  '  And  the  spirit  and  the 
bride  say,  come.  And  let  him  that  heareth 
say,  come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst, 
come.  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the 
water  of  life  freely.' 

"  What  follows  then  from  what  I  have  said 
under  this  head.  It  is  this :  We  are  not  re- 
sponsible for  being  a  separate  people,  and  there- 
fore all  we  have  to  do  is  to  work  on  as  we  are 
— together  always  —  until  those  who  are  re- 
sponsible, our  brethren  of  the  larger  Baptist 
body,  shall  take  the  initiative  for  a  union. 

"  Keeping  together,  then,  and  building  our- 
selves as  a  people,  we  shall  be  a  stronger 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  301 

force  to  help  bring  about  a  union  of  all  Bap- 
tists, and  the  stronger  we  are,  so  much  more 
respect  we  shall  receive;  so  much  more 
influence  we  shall  have  and  the  sooner  that 
which  many  of  our  own  number  and  many  in 
the  larger  Baptist  body  desire — namely,  the 
union  of  all  Baptists — will  be  consummated. 
******** 

"Of  course  I  am  understood  in  what  I  say. 
I  do  not  mean  that  a  man  is  bound  in  chains 
to  a  religious  denomination,  for,  if  there  be 
in  his  mind  an  honest  change  of  views,  then 
it  is  not  only  his  right,  but  his  duty  to  leave 
that  denomination,  and  he  is  to  be  respected 
for  leaving ;  and  there  is  a  reason  why,  other 
things  being  equal,  a  man  may  leave  a  larger 
denomination  for  a  smaller,  both  being  in  a 
good  healthy  state  and  with  good  prospects 
of  a  permanent  existence,  and  the  reason  is, 
he  may  be  needed  more  among  the  smaller 
people ;  but  to  speak  frankly,  I   have  not  a 
very  great  respect  for  a  man  who  leaves   a 
denomination  only  to  go  from  a  smaller  to  a 
larger  body,  or  to  get  a  larger  salary,  or  to  get 
rid  of  burdens  or  trials,  or  because  he  is  not 
noticed  enough,  or  cannot  have  his  own  way. 
How  can  I  respect  him  when  he  is  not  re- 
spected by  the  people  he  leaves,  nor  by  people 
to  whom   he  goes.     The  truth  is,  denomina- 
tions do  not  make  men.    Men  are,  under  God, 
what  they  make  themselves,  only  let  them  be 
humble   enough    to    walk    in    the    path    that 
Providence   marks  out  for  them,  then   they 
will   be  contented,  happy,    useful,  successful, 
the  world  made  better,  and  new  glory  will  be 
added  to  the  name  of  Christ. 


302  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 


"  I  say,  then,  repeating  in  substance  what 
I  have  already  said,  that  we  are  not  at  liberty 
to  forget  our  solemn  covenant  obligations, 
betray  the  confidence  we  have  reposed  in 
each  other,  run  away  from  the  folds  of  which 
the  Great  Shepherd  has  put  us  in  charge  and 
leave  the  wolves  to  break  in  and  devour  the 
sheep.  This  would  be  unmanly,  cowardly, 
absolutely  wicked,  but  we  should  go  right 
on  with  our  work,  bringing  more  and  more 
souls  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  giving 
more  and  more  glory  to  Christ ;  for  this  is  all 
we  are  aiming  after.  This  is  the  sum  of  the 
whole  matter.  We  should  go  on  just  as  if  we 
were  to  be  a  distinct  people  as  long  as  the 
world  stands,  and  not  trouble  ourselves  unnec- 
essarily about  a  union  with  the  larger  body. 
The  union  will  come  in  God's  own  good 
time.  I  do  not  expect  to  live  to  see  it.  When 
the  influences  now  working  for  its  coming  are 
ripe,  then  it  will  come  and  no  man  or  num- 
ber of  men  can  hinder  it,  and  then  our  Gen- 
eral Conference,  to  whom  this  whole  question 
belongs,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned,  will  be 
prepared  and  disposed  to  act  wisely. 

"I    surely  should    hope    the    Conference 
would   say :     '  Yes,    we  will  return,   we    will 
come   in  on  terms  that  shall  seem  fair  and 
honorable  to  all  fair  and  honorable  men. 
******** 

And  so  the  whole  lump  being  leavened,  in 
the  good  time  coming,  we  all,  as  Baptists, 
would  have  one  Table,  as  well  as  one  Lord, 
one  Faith  and  one  Baptism." 


OREN  B.  CHENEY 


In  announcing  Dr.  Cheney's  death,  the  Lewis- 
ton  Evening  Journal  of  Dec.  22,  1903,  says: 

"  The  news  of  Dr.  Cheney's  death  comes  as 
a  severe  shock  to  all  his  friends  and  asso- 
ciates. He  was  known  to  be  showing  many 
signs  of  his  advancing  age,  almost  90  years, 
but  he  was  still  able  to  be  out  and  about  the 
town  until  so  recently  that  his  end  was  not 
foreseen.  It  is  difficult  to  over-estimate  or 
overstate  what  Dr.  Cheney  has  been  to  Bates 
College  and  to  Lewiston.  He  was  a  founder 
in  instinct  and  in  impulse. 

"  His  idea  was  pioneering,  to  blaze  away 
into  new  paths.  He  did  all  of  this  and  more 
as  a  founder  and  a  leader  of  educational  life 
in  this  part  of  the  country.  Bates  College 
will  pay  him  reverence  and  Lewiston  and 
Auburn  will  not  forget  what  is  due  this 
remarkable  man." 

The    issue    of    Dec.    23d,    has   the   following 
memorial  editorial : 

"  No  man,  whose  death  has  occurred  in 
Maine  in  many  a  day,  should  leave  behind  him 
memorial  more  secure  and  lasting  than  Dr. 
Oren  Burbank  Cheney,  whose  death  occurred 
in  Lewiston  on  Dec.  22d,  at  the  age  of  87 
years. 

"  Dr.  Cheney  was  one  of  the  rare  and  un- 
usual composite  types  of  founder,  developer, 
executive.  He  not  only  devised  and  divined 
but  he  executed.  He  not  only  laid  out  but  he 
stood  by ;  never  conceding  to  disaster  any 


304  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

foothold  in  an\y  institution  in  whose  welfare 
he  was  interested.  The  life  of  such  a  man 
should  not  close  without  due  appreciation. 
It  should  certainly  not  pass  into  forgetfulness. 
Bates  College  and  Lewiston  will  be  recreant 
of  duty  if  in  some  enduring  form  there  be  not 
some  monument  to  the  memory  of  this  remark- 
able man,  who,  in  the  beginnings,  saw  the 
end  and  who  long  ago,  with  faith  renewed 
daily  in  his  own  indomitable  heart,  took  up 
the  burdens  uncomplainingly  for  the  cause  of 
education,  humanity  and  justice. 

"  Dr.  Cheney  was  not  what  the  world  called 
a  brilliant  man.  By  that  we  mean  that  he 
was  not  a  magnetic  public  speaker,  or  a  dis- 
tinguished scholar,  or  an  author.  He  might 
have  been  either  of  the  latter,  had  he  found 
the  time  for  the  scholar's  study  that  he  de- 
voted to  the  executive  business  of  his  life- 
work,  but,  early  in  life,  he  became  a  disciple 
of  doing  things.  Born  of  a  family  distin- 
guished for  business  or  diplomatic  life,  his 
bent  was  towards  the  constructive  side  of 
educational  work,  towards  the  founding  of 
schools,  the  management  of  their  widening 
influences,  the  shaping  of  their  policy,  and 
the  extension  of  their  influences.  A  teacher  of 
remarkable  ability,  said  to  have  been  a  moral 
influence  in  every  school  over  which  he  ever 
presided,  his  restless  soul  was  continually 
asking  for  enlarged  opportunities  for  the 
youth  of  the  land  and  begging  of  itself  the 
question  of  its  own  duty.  It  is  thus  that  we 
see  that  Dr.  Cheney  became  a  pioneer. 
Andrew  Carnegie  says  '  Pioneering  does  not 
pay,'  but  President  Cheney's  pioneering  was 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  305 

of  a  different  sort.  He  found  the  New  Eng- 
land country  life,  especially  in  Maine,  a-hun- 
gering  and  athirst  for  education.  He  saw 
boys,  who  like  himself,  walked  fifty  miles 
anon  over  the  hills  to  the  little  barren  acad- 
emy struggling  for  existence  amid  the  snows 
of  a  bleak  Maine  country  side. 

"A  teacher  become  preacher,  a  principal 
become  proselytizer,  a  man  of  affairs  feeling 
the  blood  of  a  line  of  business  ancestry  stir- 
ring within  him,  Dr.  Cheney  could  not  endure 
these  conditions.  Many  times  he  has  said 
to  the  writer :  '  I  simply  could  not  see  these 
ambitious  boys  and  girls  ask  for  instruction 
and  not  receive  it.'  He  planned  and  he 
founded.  He  was  in  at  the  beginnings,  and 
thus  all  over  Maine  the  influence  of  this  man 
whose  death  closed  his  earthly  career  on 
Tuesday,  has  beneficently  extended,  as  a  spur 
to  educational  and  moral  reforms.  A  list  of 
schools  that  Dr.  Cheney  either  founded  by 
personal  effort  or  assisted  to  found  conjointly 
with  others,  is  significant  of  his  activity  and 
his  faith.  Parsonsfield  Seminary,  Lebanon 
Academy,  Maine  State  Seminary,  Maine  Cen- 
tral Institute,  Storer  College  at  Harper's 
Ferry,  Bates  College,  Cobb  Divinity  School 
— all  of  these  owe  to  Dr.  Cheney  a  personal 
debt  of  gratitude  if  not  their  very  existence, 
and  in  all  of  them  was  he  personally  interested 
as  either  founder  or  friend  in  the  very  hours 
of  their  conception. 

"  For  such  a  life  as  this,  there  need  be  no 
apologies.  The  man  who  foresees,  upbuilds, 
dominates  in  this  wise  is  a  man  beyond  com- 
mon measure.  His  ideals  must  essentially 


306  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

be  lofty,  his  aspirations  true,  his  head  sound, 
his  judgment  level,  his  faith  serene,  his  heart 
pure,  his  zeal  unbounded.  He  must  work — 
oh,  how  he  must  work.  With  what  self-sacri- 
fices must  he  endow  his  household  and  with 
what  martyrdom  must  he  hide  his  personal 
need  or  desire.  All  this  has  come  to  Presi- 
dent Cheney.  All  this,  Bates  College  knows. 
No  alumnus,  no  professor,  no  friend,  has  seen 
the  feeble  figure  of  the  white-haired  first 
President  pass  or  repass  the  familiar  places 
but  has  seemed  to  feel  that  he  was  carrying 
bravely  into  the  closing  days  the  lightened 
memories  of  those  days  of  stress  and  toil, 
those  days  of  doubt,  almost  of  despair. 

"  In  moral  reform,  Dr.  Cheney  was  also  a 
pioneer.  He  was  an  original  abolitionist 
when  an  original  abolitionist  meant  some- 
thing. He  was  an  original  prohibitionist. 
He  gave  the  first  diploma  ever  given  to  a 
woman  graduate  from  a  New  England  Co- 
educational College.  He  opened  the  doors  of 
Bates  College  to  the  colored  man.  He  was 
a  founder  of  the  Republican  party  in  Maine. 
He  was  again  and  again  at  the  front  in  de- 
nominational matters  in  the  Free  Baptist 
churches  in  Maine  and  New  England,  and  a 
founder  even  there  of  numerous  societies  to 
'extend  its  work. 

"  In  memorial  to  President  Cheney,  there- 
fore, let  it  be  said  that  few  lives  have  been 
more  productive  than  his.  To  found  a  col- 
lege such  as  Bates,  is  no  pastime.  He  who 
conceives  the  idea ;  consecrates  his  life ;  en- 
dows it  with  his  faith  and  zeal — he  is  a  man, 
a  whole  man,  a  great  man.  As  years  pass 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  307 

and  the  college  grows,  so  will  the  apprecia- 
tion of  its  alumni,  if  that  were  possible,  and 
so  will  the  appreciation  of  this  city  of  Lewis- 
ton  on  whom  no  man  has  conferred  a  greater 
blessing  socially,  educationally,  industrially, 
economically,  than  has  this  pioneer  of  Maine 
education,  Dr.  O.  B.  Cheney." 

In  an  editorial,  the   Lewis/on   Sun  of  Dec.  23, 
1903,  thus  expresses  appreciation  : 

"  Lewiston  owes  a  large  debt  to  this  active, 
noble  man.  He  has  brought  to  this  com- 
munity its  highest  educational  institution, 
with  its  faculty,  its  large  student  body,  its 
ideals  and  aspirations.  His  enterprise  has 
helped  establish  many  homes  here,  has  in- 
creased values  in  real  estate  and  personal 
property,  has  year  by  year  put  in  circulation 
among  our  merchants  many  thousands  of  dol- 
lars; he  has  helped  give  the  young  new  and 
lofty  ideals,  to  make  an  education  possible  to 
many  ;  he  has  by  his  achievements  in  edu- 
cation changed  the  careers  of  thousands  of 
young  people,  and  through  them  has  affected 
their  homes  and  all  the  work  which  they  have 
been  permitted  to  do.  A  life  devoted  to  mak- 
ing other  lives  better  and  nobler  and  more 
useful  does  not  end  with  its  own  deeds  and 
its  own  years.  There  is  an  earthly  immor- 
tality for  such  a  man,  even  though  the 
measure  of  it  is  beyond  common  vision. 

"Besides  the  brother,  Hon.  Klias  H. 
Cheney  of  Curacoa,  three  sisters  survive,  Mrs. 
J.  H.  Lord  of  Wollaston,  Mass.,  Mrs.  J.  F.  P. 
Smith  of  Meredith,  N.  H.,  and  Mrs.  Harriet 


308  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

C.  Bonney  of  Denver,  Col.;  Mrs.  C.  H.  Swan 
of  Roxbury,  Mass.,  and  Mrs.  J.  F.  Boothby 
of  Lewiston,  are  the  only  surviving  children. 
There  are  eight  grandchildren  living." 

The  following  tributes  of  appreciation  from  the 
hearts  and  pens  of  some  of  Dr.  Cheney's  co- 
workers  were  published  in  the  Lewiston  Journal 
of  Dec.  23,  1903  : 

FROM    PROF.    JORDAN 

Prof.  L.  G.  Jordan,  acting  president  at  all  times 
in  the  absence  of  President  Chase,  was  free  to  ex- 
press his  personal  loss  in  this  death.  Said  he  : 

"  President  Cheney  was  born  at  the  right 
time.  For  a  person  of  his  instincts  and  tem- 
perament the  times  and  conditions  in  which 
he  passed  his  youth  and  early  manhood  pre- 
sented a  stirring  and  inviting  field.  The 
political,  educational  and  religious  world 
needed  just  such  a  man,  and  with  youthful 
enthusiasm  and  characteristic  loyalty  he  re- 
sponded to  that  need. 

"  He  was  a  practical  evolutionist ;  yet  his 
mind  did  not  dwell  so  much  upon  the  origin 
of  present  conditions  as  upon  ultimate  results. 
What  he  saw  before  him  was  significant 
mainly  for  what  it  might  become.  With  a 
profound  religious  faith  he  was  essentially  an 
optimist,  and  his  strong  and  definite  con- 
victions were  equalled  by  his  courage. 

"With  such  characteristics  and  living  in 
such  times  he  was  naturally  connected  with 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  309 

most  of  the  great  movements  that  developed 
during  the  period  of  his  active  life.  While 
his  work  was  largely  confined  to  the  varied 
interests  of  his  own  religious  denomination 
his  mind  was  constantly  reaching  out  into 
the  world  of  universal  interests,  and  state 
and  nation  alike  felt  the  force  of  his  large 
views  and  intelligent  thought. 

"In  the  founding  of  Bates  College,  the 
problems  with  which  he  had  to  deal  and  the 
difficulties  that  had  to  be  overcome,  were 
more  perplexing  and  varied  than  usually  arise 
in  establishing  an  institution  of  learning. 
The  kindly  tact,  persistence  and  intelligent 
faith  which  he  manifested  under  those  con- 
ditions was  most  gratifying  to  his  friends, 
and  finally  won  the  approval  and  co-operation 
of  those  who  had  previously  had  different 
plans  and  views. 

"  It  was  natural  that  his  characteristics 
should  be  very  forcibly  impressed  upon  many 
of  his  students.  He  was  much  inclined  to 
take  the  students  into  his  confidence  and 
while  he  interested  himself  in  their  work  he 
freely  made  known  to  them  his  own  plans  and 
often  inspired  them  with  something  of  his 
own  sublime  faith  and  courage.  Many  of  the 
young  men  whom  he  gathered  about  him  in 
the  later  years  of  the  Maine  State  Seminary 
and  in  the  beginning  of  Bates  College  received 
impressions  from  him  that  have  had  a  strong 
influence  on  their  subsequent  lives.  Some  of 
these  persons  certainly  will  always  hold  in 
grateful  remembrance  the  help  and  encourage- 
ment thus  received. 

14  It  was  very  pleasant  to  notice  that  even 


310  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

in  the  last  months  of  his  life  his  hopes  and 
plans  for  interests  that  were  dear  to  his  heart 
did  not  grow  dim  or  lose  their  force.  Only 
a  few  weeks  ago  sitting  upon  the  steps  of  the 
Hedge  Laboratory  he  spoke  of  the  way  in 
which  that  building  should  be  enlarged,  how 
the  new  library  building  would  look  when  its 
front  upon  Bardwell  street  should  be  erected, 
and  pointed  out  places  on  the  campus  where 
buildings  of  various  kinds  would  soon  be  seen. 
"  He  also  spoke  in  very  kind  and  apprecia- 
tive terms  of  those  who  had  been  associated 
with  him,  both  in  the  planning  and  in  the 
management  of  the  institution  which  he  so 
much  loved." 


FROM    PROF.    J.    Y.    STANTON 

None  feel  more  appreciative  of  Dr.  Cheney's 
noble  work  and  high  ideals  than  Prof.  J.  Y.  Stan- 
ton,  who  worked  beside  the  deceased  through  all 
the  struggles  of  the  institution.  Said  he  on 
Wednesday : 

"  Dr.  O.  B.  Cheney,  the  founder  of  Bates 
College  and  its  first  president,  devoted  more 
than  forty  years  of  his  life  to  one  great  work 
which,  in  its  influence,  I  believe,  is  never  to 
end.  In  this  respect,  his  life  has  been  most 
fortunate  and  unique. 

"  When  we  speak  of  President  Cheney  as 
the  founder  of  Bates  College,  we  do  not  forget 
the  unsparing  generosity  of  Mr.  Bates,  the 
untiring  zeal  of  Dr.  Cheney's  associates 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  311 

among  the  trustees  and  in  the  faculty.  Espe- 
cially we  do  not  forget  the  noble  character  of 
the  graduates,  without  whose  support  the 
college  could  never  have  become  a  permanent 
institution.  But  the  conception  that  a  col- 
lege could  be  founded  here,  the  surpassing 
courage,  the  indomitable  will,  and  the  stead- 
fast faith  that  brought  it  into  successful 
operation  was  President  Cheney's  and  Presi- 
dent Cheney's  alone.  Neither  luck  nor  chance 
ever  founded  a  college.  With  the  approval 
of  Providence,  President  Cheney's  great 
characteristics  made  him  a  founder  of  the 
college.  His  courage,  his  will  and  faith 
brought  his  life  to  a  successful  issue. 

"  Dr.  Cheney  was  most  abiding  in  his 
friendships.  I  have  been  acquainted  with 
him  since  I  was  ten  years  old.  In  these 
many  years,  not  a  word  or  an  act  of  his  has 
led  me  to  believe  that  he  was  not  a  most  sin- 
cere friend. 

"Dr.  Cheney's  trust  in  the  eternal  princi- 
ples of  right  and  justice  was  so  great  that 
where  his  conscience  approved  no  misfort- 
une could  deter  him. 

"One  who   never   turned    his   back,    but 

marched  breast  forward  ; 
Never  doubted  clouds  would  break ; 
Never    dreamed,    though    right    were 

worsted,  wrong  would  triumph  ; 
Held  we  fall  to  rise,  are  baffled  to  fight 

better,  sleep  to  wake." 


312  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

FROM   PROF.    J.    H.    RAND 

Prof.  J.  H.  Rand,  a  member  of  the  first  class  to 
graduate  from  the  college  and  long  at  the  head  of 
the  mathematics  department,  says  : 

"  My  first  knowledge  of  Dr.  Cheney  was 
not  directly  personal.  A  few  years  before 
my  earliest  recollection,  he  was,  for  two  years, 
principal  of  the  seminary  at  Parsonsfield,  my 
native  town.  His  strong  personality  and  his 
abiding  influence  upon  the  people  of  the 
town  are  shown  by  the  fact  that,  in  after 
years,  children  and  youth  were  taught  to 
know  and  to  reverence  him. 

"  This  was  true  in  my  own  case.  The  name 
of  Mr.  Cheney  (for  he  was  then  known  as 
such)  was  a  household  word  in  my  house. 
I  learned  of  him  mostly  through  an  uncle  and 
an  aunt,  who  were  his  pupils,  and  my  grand- 
father, who  was  associated  with  him  in  church 
work.  Often  have  I  listened  by  the  hour, 
with  rapt  attention,  to  accounts  of  what  Mr. 
Cheney  did  or  said.  So  carefully  was  his 
personal  appearance  described  to  me,  that  I 
formed  in  my  child-mind  a  picture  of  him 
which  remains  vivid  even  now.  While  there 
at  Parsonsfield  he  became  distinguished  for 
strong  and  outspoken  advocacy  of  temper- 
ance, anti-slavery  and  higher  education.  In 
after  years  the  deciding  consideration  that 
led  me  to  the  Maine  State  Seminary  was  the 
fact  that  there  I  should  be  under  the  direct 
influence  of  Dr.  Cheney  of  whom  I  had  known 
so  much. 

"  I   well  recollect  the  place,  the   day,   the 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  313 

hour,  almost,  of  my  first  meeting  with  him, 
and  the  very  hearty,  cordial  reception  he 
gave  me.  He  made  me  feel  that  in  me  he 
had  a  personal  interest  and  that  in  him  I 
should  find  a  helpful  friend.  Such  he  has 
always  been,  and  such  he  has  been  to  all  the 
many  young  men  and  young  women  who  have 
come  under  his  influence.  I  have  referred 
briefly  to  some  things  that  I  know  of  his 
early  life  work.  The  great,  the  crowning 
mark  of  his  life  has  been  the  founding  and 
upbuilding  of  Bates  College. 

"  Comparatively  few  have  done  so  much  to 
influence  for  good  the  lives  of  so  many  of 
their  fellow-men  as  has  Dr.  Cheney.  Truly, 
his  has  been  a  noble  life." 

FROM    PROF.    T.    L.    ANGELL 

Said  Prof.  T.  L.  Angell,  who  was  for  many 
years  at  the  head  of  the  department  of  modern 
languages  at  Bates : 

"  In  the  death  of  Pres.  O.  B.  Cheney,  whom 
I  have  known  for  more  than  thirty  years  and 
with  whom  I  have  been  intimately  associated, 
I  suffer  a  keen  sense  of  personal  loss. 

"Years  ago  I  heard  it  said  of  him  that  he 
never  betrayed  nor  forsook  his  friends,  a 
characteristic  certainly  none  too  common  to- 
day among  men.  Two  features  of  his  life 
have  long  impressed  me,  namely,  his  unswerv- 
ing fidelity  to  his  great  life-work,  the  building 
up  of  Bates  College,  and  his  unfailing  good 
cheer  in  the  prosecution  of  his  work.  After 
returning  from  a  trip  to  Europe  with  Dr. 


314  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Cheney,  Gov.  Dingley  remarked  that  he  never 
saw  a  man  that  lived  more  exclusively  for  one 
object  and  bent  every  energy  more  persist- 
ently to  its  attainment  than  did  the  doctor. 
And  James  G.  Elaine  once  said  in  my  hear- 
ing that  when  in  the  early  days  of  the  college, 
President  Cheney  came  to  the  Maine  Legis- 
lature seeking  aid  for  the  struggling  institu- 
tion, he,  Elaine,  told  his  fellow-members  that 
they  might  just  as  well  give  the  sum  desired 
soon  as  late,  for  the  doctor  would  continue  to 
come  until  he  received  it. 

"  A  brief  experience  in  soliciting  funds  for 
any  object,  however  worthy,  will  satisfy  any 
sane  man  that  he  has  undertaken  one  of  the 
the  most  trying,  most  depressing  occupations 
open  to  man.  Dr.  Cheney  with  his  high  code 
of  honor  and  with  his  keen  sensitiveness  to 
indifference  even,  knew  as  few  men  have 
known,  the  weight  of  the  burden  borne.  Yet 
he  faltered  not  for  a  moment,  but  with  an  un- 
ceasing love  for  the  work  in  hand  and  with 
an  unwavering  faith  in  its  ultimate  success  he 
kept  steadily  and  cheerfully  on,  and  lived  to 
see  the  glad  fruition  of  all  his  toil.  The 
closing  months  and  years  of  his  life  were 
marked  by  all  that  serenity  of  spirit  that 
must  and  does  attend  the  retrospect  of  every 
well-spent  life." 

FROM    HON.    H.    W.    OAKES 
Said  Hon.  Henry  W.  Oakes  of  Auburn : 

"I  learned  of  the  death  of  President 
Cheney  with  a  feeling  of  personal  sorrow. 
My  acquaintance,  begun  as  a  student  in  Bates 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  315 

College  about  thirty  years  ago,  has  continued 
as  I  have  known  him  well  in  the  relations  of 
later  years,  in  a  growing  appreciation  of  the 
qualities  which  made  him  a  leader  in  great 
affairs,  and  the  intimate  personal  friend  and 
adviser  of  a  great  number  of  people. 

"  He  was  a  broad  man,  with  large  views, 
judging  wisely  of  the  future,  and  while  per- 
haps he  '  builded  better  than  he  knew,'  yet 
he  knew  more  of  the  nature  of  his  work  and 
of  its  necessary  results  than  most  men.  His 
faith  was  absolute,  and  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
mortgage  the  future  in  the  development  of  his 
life-work. 

"  Events  have  justified  him.  The  college 
which  more  than  all  men  together,  he  might 
have  claimed  as  his  own  handiwork,  witnesses 
the  genius  of  its  first  president,  and  as  it 
develops  along  the  lines  which  he  projected, 
will,  in  a  constantly  increasing  degree,  speak 
of  his  wisdom  and  courage  and  foresight." 

Said  Hon.  W.  H.  Judkins,  one  of  the  trustees  of 
the  college : 

"  Dr.  Cheney's  life  illustrates  in  a  noble 
manner  the  possible  achievements  of  sublime 
faith  combined  with  extraordinary  work.  He 
was  a  poet  in  imagination,  a  prophet  in  his 
outlook  for  the  future,  and  a  builder  of  great 
things  on  broad  foundations.  I  firmly  believe 
that  his  position  in  our  State  will  be  large 
and  enduring." 


316  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

At  the  funeral,  Prof.  A.  W.  Anthony,  D.D., 
said : 

"  In  summing  up  what  has  already  been  said 
this  afternoon,  we  must  remember  how  far  a 
life  reaches  when  it  engages  in  educational 
work.  Because  of  Dr.  Cheney  there  has 
come  into  this  community  its  highest  educa- 
tional institution,  hither  have  been  gathered 
a  corps  of  trained  teachers,  bringing  to  your 
doors  the  inspiration  of  other  colleges  and 
universities,  of  travel  and  residence  abroad, 
of  rare  culture  and  discriminating  judgment. 
All  this  by  the  life  of  the  founder  of  Bates 
College  has  been  made  real.  And  students 
by  the  thousand  have  in  the  few  years  now 
passed  been  attracted  here,  sometimes  bring- 
ing father  and  mother  with  them,  to  found  a 
new  home.  Even  business  has  been  created 
and  stimulated  by  the  college.  Then  your 
lives  have  been  drawn  out,  enlarged,  aroused, 
almost  reformed  by  the  training  here  received. 
These  lives  have  gone  forth  into  the  various 
professions  and  callings,  living  more  largely, 
achieving  greater  results,  because  of  this  one 
man's  vision  and  persevering  work. 

"  Such  a  life  is  not  ended.  It  has  its  rich 
reward  beyond  our  sight ;  it  has  its  great 
fruition  here  also  in  the  lives  of  others.  So 
long  as  men  think  and  will  and  strive,  does 
the  work  of  a  teacher  continue  in  those  who 
have  been  taught,  who  then  give  out  to  others 
and  pass  on  for  eternity  the  effects  of  their 
lives. 

"  No  life  richer  in  its  ultimate  fruitage  has 
gone  out  in  many  a  day  than  that  of  Dr.  O. 
B.  Cheney.  His  mission  was  plain ;  his  call 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  317 

was  specific ;  his  life  clean  and  pure;  his 
Christian  hope  undimmed ;  his  work  so 
practical  as  well  as  so  idealistic  that  his 
memory  is  sure  to  grow  with  the  passing  of 
the  years." 

The  following  testimonial  of  friendship  is  from 
Rev.  John  Malvern : 

«« Dr.  O.  B.  Cheney,  the  Christian  gentle- 
man ;  an  indefatigable  worker;  a  patient 
plodder  and  waiter ;  a  wise  planner ;  the  in- 
spiration of  his  colleagues;  the  students' 
helper ;  the  most  sympathetic,  tender-hearted 
friend  ;  the  sacrificing,  devoted  college  Presi- 
dent ;  a  sweet-spirited  preacher  and  conscien- 
tious teacher ;  a  superior  presiding  officer ; 
a  Free  Baptist  from  principle  ;  a  free-hearted, 
whole-souled  lover  of  men  of  all  shades  of 
faith  ;  beloved  by  all  denominations ;  a  wel- 
come guest  in  all  our  homes ;  and  a  com- 
panion on  whom  we  could  rely.  This  is  how 
he  appears  to  one  who  has  known  him  for 
four  decades  at  least. 

"  He  was  sunshine  on  a  cloudy  day ;  for, 
when  discouragements  pressed  upon  all  about 
him,  his  smiling  face  and  cheery  words  in- 
spired us  with  joy  and  dispelled  our  gloom. 

"To  those  who  lived  nearest  to  him  he 
was  a  constant  benediction,  and  to  those  who 
lived  far  away  his  name  was  a  household 
word  and  became  a  synonym  of  Christian 
manhood ;  and  fathers  would  say,  '  My  son, 
look  at  Dr.  Cheney.' 

"  Many  a  boy  will  rise  up  and  call  him 
'  blessed. 

"'The  memory  of  the  righteous  is  blessed.' 


318  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"That  every  household  throughout  our 
broad  land  may  perpetuate  his  memory  in  the 
study  of  his  biography  let  us  devoutly  pray." 

The  following  testimonial  gives  a  good  insight 
into  President  Cheney's  relation  to  students  of 
the  negro  race.  It  is  from  Prof.  N.  C.  Bruce, 
class  of  1893,  Bates,  who  is  now  Principal  of  the 
Bartlett  High  School,  St.  Joseph,  Missouri : 

"  No  one  of  us  from  Bates,  white  or  black, 
can  do  justice  to  its  father  and  founder,  Dr. 
O.  B.  Cheney.  My  own  heart  is  full  of  grati- 
tude and  love  for  what  he  was  to  me,  my 
brother  Thomas,  and  my  sister  Emma. 

"  I  was  the  seventh  colored  graduate  from 
Bates,  following  close  behind  Mr.  Hatter, 
class  of  1888  of  Harper's  Ferry,  the  late  Dr. 
Morton,  class  of  1886  of  New  York,  and  the 
deceased  Mr.  Wilson,  class  of  1884,  Tuske- 
gee,  Alabama. 

"  After  receiving  several  encouraging  letters 
from  the  revered  President,  whom  I  had 
never  seen,  I  entered  Bates  in  1889  and  found 
a  College  in  which  every  environment  seemed 
helpful  to  the  deserving  poor  youth  of  any 
race  from  anywhere. 

"  President  Cheney  soon  found  me  and  gave 
me  his  greeting  and  blessing  and  words  of 
great  good  cheer.  Although  his  time  was  all 
taken  in  the  multitudinous  duties  of  directing 
and  administering  affairs  at  Bates  and  in 
securing  the  necessary  finances  in  those  years 
of  stringency — work  enough  for  two  or  more 
great  men — Dr.  Cheney  impressed  us  all  as 
our  father,  personal  friend  and  guide.  When 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  319 

he  would  return  from  his  trips  of  hard  work, 
he  seemed  not  to  rest  until  he  had  seen  me 
and  learned  of  my  personal  health  and  prog- 
ress. My  work,  physical  and  spiritual, 
seemed  to  please  him.  He  often  turned  aside 
to  get  me  a  job  where  I  could  earn  something, 
and  more  often  would  employ  me  himself. 

"  When  he  heard  the  Freshman  declamation 
of  my  class  and  I  lost  to  a  classmate,  but 
was  rated  number  two  with  honorable  men- 
tion, his  sympathy  for  me  was  so  great  that 
he  induced  a  friend  to  also  give  me  a  prize  ; 
but  although  I  repeatedly  tried  to  learn  the 
name  of  the  donor  he  never  told  me  until 
after  my  graduation.  Oh,  he  was  so  gracious 
and  reticent,  kind  and  helpful ! 

"  His  whole  countenance  seemed  in  a  halo 
of  glory  when  he  knew  he  had  said  something 
or  done  something  to  alleviate  pain,  soften 
grief  and  ease  a  Bates  student's  burden,  but 
never  did  his  fine  face  send  out  such  quiet 
radiance  of  joy  and  satisfaction  as  when 
something  was  done  for  a  colored  student. 

"  He  was  to  me  not  only  father,  but  spirit- 
ual guide.  I  came  to  compare  him  to  our 
blessed  Lord,  who,  when  he  came  in  from 
those  Judean  journeys  could  be  found  among 
the  poorest,  comforting,  cheering,  doing  good. 
He  used  to  take  time  and  tell  me  of  the 
changes  in  the  public  conscience,  illustrating 
from  chapters  out  of  his  own  life  as  an  early 
abolitionist. 

"'When  a  young  man  and  preacher,' he 
would  say,  « I  used  to  pray  for  the  bondmen 
in  the  South,  and  it  mattered  not  how  faint 
and  slight  the  reference,  some  churchmen 


320  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

would  take  offence  and  leave  speedily.  I  was 
often  taken  to  task  for  what  was  called  my 
folly  in  expressing  any  sympathy  for  the 
slaves  in  the  forties  and  fifties.  But  I  per- 
sisted through  it  all,  though  I  had  to  suffer 
much  through  the  loss  of  friends  and  their 
support.'  He  would  say:  'I  tell  you  these 
things  that  you  may  see  the  great  advance 
God  has  brought  about.' 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  last  talk  I  had 
with  him  about  work  among  my  own  race  in 
my  own  dear  homeland  of  the  South.  Said 
he  among  many  other  good  things : 

"  '  Mr.  Bruce,  do  'all  the  good  you  can  and 
yet  remember  that  God  was  never  in  a  hurry  ; 
He  takes  time,  works  thoroughly,  never  wastes 
and  has  never  been  known  to  despise  the 
poor,  the  needy,  the  unfortunate.  Follow 
Him  and  be  good.' 

"  I  worship  the  name  and  memory  of  Dr. 
Oren  B.  Cheney.  They  inspire  me  now  and 
will  abide  with  me  with  added  freshness  to 
to  the  end.  If  I  have  done  aught  of  good,  I 
owe  a  great  debt  to  his  influence  over  me. 
But  I  can  never  pass  on  enough  help  to  others 
to  repay  his  memory  for  the  good  cheer, 
courage,  hope  and  inspiration  he  gave  me." 

It  is  fitting  that  an  expression  be  given  of  the 
wisdom  and  value  of  Dr.  Cheney's  work  in  con- 
necting Cobb  Divinity  School  with  Bates  College. 

The  following  testimonial  from  J.  A.  Howe, 
D.D.,  for  many  years  Dean  of  that  school,  gives 
to  the  reader  his  estimate  of  Free  Baptist  Theo- 
logical indebtedness  to  Dr.  Cheney  : 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  321 

"  Dr.  Cheney  was  a  far-seeing  man.  His 
mind  was  ever  active  in  studying  methods  by 
which  a  better  future  for  his  denomination 
could  be  secured.  Out  of  his  brooding  came 
the  plan  of  having  a  New  England  Free  Bap- 
tist college,  and  later,  of  associating  with  it  a 
Free  Baptist  Theological  School.  What 
appreciation  belongs  to  his  memory  for  the 
former,  need  not  here  be  told.  But  let  not 
the  grateful  remembrance  due  him  for  the 
latter  be  forgotten. 

"  By  the  suggestion  and  efforts  of  Dr. 
Cheney  the  theological  school,  sustained  by 
the  Free  Baptist  Education  Society  at  New 
Hampton,  was  exchanged  for  Cobb  Divinity 
School.  Whatever  good  the  latter,  by  its 
nearly  forty  years  of  service  at  Lewiston,  has 
accomplished  by  reason  of  its  location  and 
support,  should  in  some  great  measure 
be  credited  to  the  man  who  had  the  sagacity 
to  foresee  it,  the  courage  to  champion  the 
opening  of  the  school  in  connection  with 
Bates  College,  and  the  skill  to  win  from  the 
Education  Society  an  approval  of  the  under- 
taking. Had  his  project  been  voted  down  as 
too  daring,  and  the  school  that  was  super- 
seded been  continued,  no  doubt  it  would  have 
still  performed  a  useful  service  for  our 
churches.  But  at  the  time  the  change  was 
made  a  state  of  prolonged  feebleness  was  be- 
fore the  school.  A  movement  to  find  a  new 
location  had  been  started,  and  tentative 
negotiations  for  locating  it  at  Haverhill, 
Mass.,  that  came  to  nothing,  had  been  tried. 

"By  promising  to  begin  a  theological 
school  at  Lewiston,  as  a  department  of  the 


322  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

College,  give  it  a  building,  keep  at  least  four 
men  in  the  faculty,  free  the  Education  Society 
from  any  expense  for  its  support,  President 
Cheney  and  the  Bates  trustees  gratified  the 
Society  with  a  proposition  as  liberal  as  it  was 
opportune.  The  Society  willingly  closed  its 
school  and  with  its  good  will  dismissed  its 
faculty,  students  and  library  to  help  inau- 
gurate the  new  enterprise,  while  it  retained 
its  funds  as  a  beneficiary  endowment  in  aid 
of  students  for  the  ministry. 

"  Time  has  justified  its  action.  The  wis- 
dom of  it  no  one  challenges.  By  reason  of  it 
the  higher  educational  interests  of  Free  Bap- 
tists in  New  England  were  verified,  their 
theological  school  had  its  distinct  individu- 
ality ;  its  faculty  became  more  adequate  in 
numbers  with  a  reasonable  salary.  College 
men  in  larger  proportions  were  drawn  to  the 
school,  and  non-college  men  sooner  or  later 
were  often  drawn  to  the  college ;  the  school 
lived  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  stimulating, 
scholarly  environment ;  social,  literary  and 
religious  advantages  that  only  a  city  life  pro- 
vides, widened  the  outlook  and  culture  of  the 
students.  The  beautiful  Roger  Williams  Hall 
later  became  a  gift  to  the  school,  and  the 
school  served  as  a  source  of  a  needed  home 
missionary  supply  for  many  small  churches 
not  too  remote  from  Lewiston.  Let  these 
things  be  viewed  as  some  of  the  results  of 
Dr.  Cheney's  action  in  behalf  of  our  theologi- 
cal interests. 

"On  his  part  it  was  a  bold  undertaking. 
That  the  college  was  still  but  an  infant 
crying  in  the  night,  gave  to  his  project  a 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  323 

somewhat  visionary  aspect.  He  confidently 
thought  that  the  vision  could  be  converted 
into  tangible  reality.  Before  the  trustees 
voted  to  accept  the  hazard  of  supporting  a 
theological  school,  President  Cheney  had  se- 
cured pledges  from  men,  more  or  less  asso- 
ciated in  business  with  Mr.  Bates,  sufficient  to 
warrant  the  vote.  But  scarcely  had  the  edu- 
cation Society  given  up  its  school  and  the 
one  at  Lewiston  started  on  its  voyage  when 
financial  disasters  came  on  like  a  flood  and 
swept  away  the  promised  gifts. 

"Then  came  distress  and  grim  determina- 
tion. Dr.  Cheney  could  not  allow  any 
thought  of  retreat.  The  reproach  of  failure 
would  long  sting  him  to  the  soul.  He  was 
no  Stoic.  Actual  failure  would  destroy  so 
great  a  promise  of  good  to  humanity  and  the 
church,  that  any  thought  of  it  must  not  be 
entertained.  He  made  known  the  situation 
to  the  churches.  That  alone,  he  thought, 
would  make  its  strong  appeal.  Among  Free 
Baptists  of  New  England  and  beyond  much 
sympathy  was  felt.  He  went  up  to  the 
General  Conference  and  laid  the  peril  of  the 
conditions  at  Lewiston  before  that  body 
whose  work  he  was  doing. 

"  His  request  was  referred  to  a  committee, 
the  chairman  of  which  was  himself  at  the 
head  of  a  needy  college.  The  report  of  the 
committee  made  Dr.  Cheney  feel  the  rigor  of 
the  teaching  that  every  man  must  bear  his 
own  burden.  Cast  down  but  not  destroyed, 
he  went  from  the  Conference  to  devise  and 
execute  plans  that  ultimately  carried  college 
and  seminary  safely  through  this  period  of 


324  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

storm  and  stress.  Mr.  Bates  gave  him  a 
pledge  of  $100,000,  if  within  five  years  from 
the  date  of  it  the  college  would  raise  an  equal 
amount.  Towards  meeting  that  condition 
the  Education  Society  paid  $25,000  accom- 
panied by  what  proved  to  be  a  fatal  reversion- 
ary clause  in  case  the  theological  school 
should,  at  any  time,  be  given  up.  By  a  sin- 
gular piece  of  legalism  that  clause  was  ruled 
by  the  court  after  Mr.  Bates's  death,  to  vitiate 
the  claim  of  the  college  to  have  met  the  con- 
ditions of  the  pledge,  since  the  college  could 
not  show  that  Mr.  Bates  had  consented  to 
count  that  gift  as  permanent. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  ruling  of  the  court, 
through  the  persistent  efforts  of  Dr.  Cheney 
to  secure  Mr.  Bates's  pledge,  $100,000  were 
brought  into  the  treasury  of  the  institution. 

"  Dr.  Cheney  counted  among  his  most  use- 
ful works  what  he  was  enabled  to  accomplish 
for  the  Divinity  School.  It  should  not  be 
forgotten  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  college 
one  principal  aim  with  him  was  to  secure  for 
his  denomination  a  better  educated  ministry. 
It  might  be  safely  said  that  he  was  probably 
more  governed  by  this  high  motive  than  by 
any  other.  Influential  with  him  he  made  it 
influential  in  his  appeal  to  the  churches,  and 
when  he  pleaded  with  the  Education  Society 
for  its  gift  of  $25,000,  he  wanted  Bates  as 
a  Christian  College  ever  to  be  a  purveyor  of 
the  Divinity  School. 

"A  slight,  but  none  the  less  significant, 
indication  of  his  sleepless  attention  to  what- 
ever would  enhance  the  interests  of  the 
school  is  disclosed  by  its  present  name. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  325 

« Theological  School '  and  '  Theological  Semi- 
nary '  were  interchangeable  names  at  New 
Hampton.  It  suited  better  the  prejudices  of 
the  fathers  for  the  Education  Society  to  call 
its  school  the  Biblical  School.  President 
Cheney  desiring  to  honor  Mr.  J.  L.  H.  Cobb, 
a  deacon  of  the  Congregational  church  in 
Lewiston,  for  his  generous  gifts  to  the  col- 
lege treasury,  asked  the  trustees  to  give  the 
school  the  name  it  now  bears,  The  Cobb 
Divinity  School. 

"  Thus  came  about  the  only  known  instance 
in  our  country  of  a  Divinity  School  of  one 
denomination  bearing  and  commemorating 
the  name  of  a  member  of  another  denomi- 
nation. 

"  That  feature  of  the  Divinity  School  com- 
memorates as  well  the  liberal  mind  of  Dr. 
Cheney.  Before  the  churches  he  stood  not 
as  a  theologian,  not  as  a  sectarian  partizan, 
but  as  an  educated  minister  having  at  heart 
the  welfare  of  his  church.  His  labors  in  be- 
half of  the  Free  Baptist  ministry  and  Divinity 
School  did  not  grow  out  of  an  intense  doctri- 
nal zeal.  To  the  creed  of  the  church  which 
he  served,  and  of  whose  record  he  was  proud, 
and  in  which  he  was  reared,  he  was  a  sincere 
adherent.  But  the  wideness  of  his  evangeli- 
cal mind  was  equal  to  that  of  the  platform  of 
a  united  church.  His  orthodoxy  was  of  the 
progressive,  rather  than  of  the  hard  and  fast 
school.  Brought  into  contact  with  the  Chris- 
tianity of  men  of  all  creeds  and  churches,  he 
found  that  Christian  character  and  Christian 
deeds  were  not  limited  to  any  one  sect.  The 


326  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

cup  of  cold  water  in  the  name  of  Christ  was 
often  put  to  his  lips  because  he  was  a  disciple, 
by  noble  men  and  women  of  other  churches 
than  his  own. 

"  To  pass  equitable  judgments  of  worth 
according  to  the  usefulness  of  different  leaders 
in  the  Free  Baptist  church  is  an  impossible 
thing.  In  answer  to  the  question  who  of 
them  has  best  served  its  theological  interests 
some  would  mention  Ransom  Dunn,  John  J. 
Butter  or  John  Fullonton.  President  Cheney's 
life  moved  in  a  different  sphere  from  theirs 
and  its  fruits  cannot  be  compared  with  theirs. 
But  it  can  be  said  that  among  those  who 
planned  broadly  for  our  theological  schools 
and  executed  skilfully  wise  projects  for  their 
usefulness,  he  occupies  a  unique  place.  With- 
out him  what  Cobb  Divinity  School  is  and 
what  it  has  done  could  not  have  been." 

BATES    COLLEGE    TODAY 

Some  enterprises  start  vigorously  only  to  end 
in  failure.  It  is  suitable  therefore  to  ask  the 
question :  "  Has  all  the  sacrifice  arid  output  of 
energy  recorded  in  this  life-story  proved  to  be 
worth  while."  Let  us  answer  by  taking  a  look  at 
Bates  College  twelve  years  after  President 
Cheney's  resignation  and  see  what  is  being  built 
on  the  foundations  so  carefully  laid. 

NEW    BUILDINGS 

In  i go i -02,  through  the  generosity  of  many 
friends,  and  especially  of  Joseph  A.  Coram,  Esq., 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  327 

who  contributed  $20,000  for  the  purpose,  a  fine 
brick  and  stone  building  was  erected  which  bears 
the  name  of  Coram  Library.  Already  its  capacity 
is  being  tested  and  in  due  time  the  extension  pro- 
vided for  in  the  plan  will  need  to  be  added. 

The  great  need  for  a  young  Woman's  Hall  was 
supplied  in  1905  by  the  erection  of  a  noble  brick 
structure,  admirably  adapted  for  the  purposes  for 
which  it  was  designed.  This  buildiug  with  a  resi- 
dent woman  Dean  to  look  after  the  interests  of 
the  young  women  gives  to  the  College  a  balance 
whose  need  was  long  foreseen  and  planned  for  by 
President  Cheney. 

At  the  Commencement  of  1907,  it  was  an- 
nounced that  a  resident  of  Lewiston  is  about 
to  erect  for  the  College  an  Auditorium  con- 
taining spacious  and  suitable  rooms  for  the  three 
Literary  Societies  and  for  the  Christian  Associa- 
tions, as  well  as  a  large  a-udience  room  for  the  pub- 
lic exercises  of  the  institution. 

BATES   GRADUATES 

From  an  article  in  The  Morning  Star,  1906,  we 
extract  the  following : 

"There  has  been  for  years  no  important 
educational  gathering  in  the  United  States 
at  which  Bates  graduates  have  not  been  in 
evidence  as  officers  and  speakers.  Professor 
Hanus,  head  of  the  distinctively  educational 
department  of  Harvard  University,  puts 


328  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

Bates  first  among  Eastern  colleges  in  the 
number  and  rank  of  her  recent  graduate  edu- 
cators. Bates  has  more  sons  presiding  over 
reputable  secondary  schools  in  New  England 
than  has  any  other  college.  Even  in  New 
Hampshire,  where  Dartmouth  has  such  wide 
and  well-deserved  influence,  every  leading 
high  school  north  of  Laconia  is  said  to  have 
a  Bates  principal. 

"  But  it  is  Massachusetts  that  beyond  any 
other  state  is  entrusting  her  educational  work 
to  the  care  of  our  college.  In  popular  edu- 
cation Bates  alumni  are  favorably  known  in 
every  state  between  the  two  oceans.  '  Send 
us  a  Bates  man  to  be  principal  of  our  new 
county  high  school,'  is  a  recent  message  from 
a  school  board  in  Montana,  not  a  member  of 
which  ever  saw  Bates  College ;  and  similar 
requests  have  been  received  this  year  from 
California,  New  Mexico,  Porto  Rico,  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  and  even  from  India  and 
China. 

"  To  positions  in  colleges  and  universities 
Bates  has  contributed  about  one  out  of  every 
twenty  of  her  graduates.  A  Bates  man  was 
re-elected  this  year  as  president  of  the  Ameri- 
can Institute  of  Instruction — the  oldest  edu- 
cational association  in  the  world.  It  was  a 
Bates  graduate,  now  president  of  a  leading 
state  university  in  the  far  west,  who  initiated 
the  movement  that  issued  in  the  famous  re- 
port to  the  National  Educational  Association 
of  '  The  Committee  of  Ten ' — perhaps  the 
most  important  educational  paper  of  the 
nineteenth  century. 

"  Nor  is  it  in  education  alone  that  the  sons 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  329 

and  the  daughters  of  Bates  have  gained 
honorable  distinction.  Her  graduates  repeat- 
edly have  been  awarded  first  honors  in  the 
great  professional  schools  of  our  country. 
And  in  the  professions  themselves  they  are 
taking  second  place  to  those  of  no  other  col- 
lege in  America.  '  Here  is  a  collection  of  the 
choicest  poems  that  have  been  written  dur- 
ing the  last  decade,'  said  a  London  book- 
seller to  the  writer  a  dozen  years  ago.  A 
swift  survey  of  the  contents  disclosed  the 
presence  of  several  compositions  from  the 
pen  of  one  of  his  former  Bates  students. 

"  For  some  years  Bates  has  received  more 
students  from  a  distance  than  has  any  other 
Maine  college.  Naturally  she  draws  a  good 
percentage  of  her  membership  from  the  '  Pine 
Tree  State,'  but  she  has  large  delegations 
from  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire,  and 
smaller  ones  from  each  of  the  New  England 
States,  from  New  York,  and  from  Canada. 
During  the  last  fifteen  years  she  has  nearly 
trebled  her  students,  and  that  without  adver- 
tising in  any  newspaper  except  the  'Star.' 

"She  has  not  a  weak  teacher  in  her  entire 
corps  of  instruction  ;  and  the  work  in  all  her 
departments  is  modern  and  progressive.  She 
will  begin  on  September  the  i2th  a  new  col- 
lege year  with  a  larger  and  stronger  faculty 
than  ever  before.  The  success  of  the  Car- 
negie subscription  movement  by  which  more 
than  $150,000  will  soon  be  added  to  her 
endowment  is  assured.  The  Bates  Library 
Memorial  Fund  of  $10,000,  just  established 
by  Clement  S.  Houghton,  of  Boston,  in 
memory  of  his  friend,  Benjamin  K.  Bates,  the 


330  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

son  of  the  Benjamin  E.  Bates  whose  name 
our  institution  bears,  and  himself  for  twelve 
years  an  honored  trustee  of  our  college,  will 
annually  enrich  our  library  shelves  with  the 
latest  valuable  works  of  history,  political 
economy,  mathematics  and  sciology. 

"  The  George  Colby  Chase  Lecture  Fund 
of  $5,000  just  established  by  some  friend  still 
unknown  will  hereafter  bring  to  Bates  an- 
nually for  a  series  of  lectures  a  recognized 
authority  in  some  great  department  of 
thought  and  learning.  New  full  courses  are 
to  be  given  in  education,  in  Semitic  literature 
and  in  the  history  of  philosophy.  The  de- 
partment of  physical  culture  is  to  be  re-or- 
ganized and  placed  under  the  direction  of 
two  of  the  most  enthusiastic  and  competent 
teachers  in  our  country ;  and  equally  im- 
portant advances  are  to  be  made  in  other 
directions. 

"  The  best  feature  of  Bates  is  still  the  stress 
that  she  puts  upon  character.  She  is  first  of 
all  a  Christian  college,  and  among  the  activi- 
ties of  the  now  approaching  new  year  those 
of  the  Christian  Associations,  the  class  and 
the  college  prayer-meetings,  and  the  Bible 
and  Missionary  classes  will  hold  a  foremost 
place.  Every  young  man  entering  Bates  will, 
as  heretofore,  give  his  pledge  to  abstain  from 
the  use  of  all  intoxicants  ;  and  Christian  teach- 
ers and  students  will  lead  in  the  entire  social 
and  intellectual  life  of  the  college.  The  enter- 
ing class  promises  to  be  large  and  scholarly, 
and  there  will  be  important  accessions  to 
each  of  the  upper  classes.  Never  before  has 
Bates  had  so  strong  a  claim  upon  the 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  331 


sympathy,  the  support,  and  the  patronage  of 
the  young  people  who  read  The  Morning 
Star,  as  in  this,  the  forty-fourth  year  of  her 
existence." 

ONE    BATES    BOY 

The  human  mind  dislikes  generalities.  It  likes 
to  deal  with  life  as  expressed  in  individuals.  We 
hope,  therefore,  that  it  will  not  seem  invidious  if 
we  give  the  story  of  one  Bates  boy's  life  as  de- 
tailed in  the  College  Bulletin  : 

AN    HONORED    BATES    ALUMNUS 

"  Of  all  Bates  graduates  that  have  devoted 
themselves  distinctively  to  Science,  Wendell, 
of  '68,  easily  holds  the  first  place.  He  is  one 
of  the  relatively  few  men  that  have  not  only 
been  '  predestined '  to  a  specific  work  but 
have  'made  their  calling  and  election  sure.' 
Wendell  was  a  brilliant  scholar  through  his 
entire  college  course.  He  had,  for  his  day, 
received  at  the  old  academy  in  Dover,  N.  H., 
a  remarkably  fine  preparation,  and  Bates  was 
his  chosen  college  long  before  he  left  school. 
President  Cheney,  in  his  rounds  among  boys 
looking  towards  college,  had  breathed  an 
inspiring  word  into  Wendell's  ears.  And, 
undeterred  by  the  protests  of  his  Principal 
and  of  other  distinguished  college  graduates 
living  in  Dover  (and  impressed  by  the  young 
fellow's  promise),  in  hearty  accord  with  the 
wishes  of  his  parents,  he  set  his  face  reso- 
lutely towards  Bates.  As  on  a  sultry  August 
day,  fresh  from  his  home,  full  of  the  spirit  of 
romance  and  eager  for  college  adventure,  he 


332  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

first  came  in  sight  of  the  Bates  campus,  then 
nearly  barren  of  trees,  but  partially  graded, 
enclosed  on  two  sides  by  stump  fences,  and 
boasting  but  two  buildings,  Hathorn  and 
Parker  Halls — Hathorn  Hall  still  unfinished 
— his  heart  leaped  up  within  him,  as  he  ex- 
claimed, '  This  is  my  College  !'  It  was  love 
at  first  sight, — love  that  has  never  once  fal- 
tered in  the  nearly  forty-three  years  since  in 
1864  he  joined  the  second  Freshman  class 
that  entered  Bates  College.  To  his  fervid 
temperament  and  poetic  imagination  these 
humble  beginnings  of  a  college  were  more 
splendid  and  inspiring  than  to  the  average 
youth  are  the  ivy-wreathed  halls  of  Yale,  Har- 
vard or  Oxford. 

"  In  the  young  but  vigorous  life  of  this  new 
College,  Wendell  was  soon  a  central  figure. 
Alive  to  every  opportunity,  whether  for  study, 
research  or  fun,  eager,  aspiring,  and  resource- 
ful, he  was  an  active  factor  in  moulding  the 
character,  shaping  the  history,  and  creating 
the  traditions  of  the  Bates-to-be.  No  Bates 
man  has  better  impersonated  our  College 
motto,  '  Con  Amore  ac  Studio.'  Genial,  ap- 
preciative and  kindly — withal  occasionally 
moody,  dreamy,  and  given  to  quiet  walks — 
he  was  soon  recognized  by  all  as  a  man  of 
whom  the  College  must  be  proud. 

"  Whatever  he  attempted  he  accomplished 
with  credit,  whether  in  debate,  composition, 
or  class-work.  The  whole  world,  whether  of 
nature,  books  or  men,  was  of  absorbing 
interest  to  him.  But  it  was  in  Mathematics 
and  the  Sciences  that  he  found  his  choicest 
satisfaction,  unless,  indeed,  it  were  in  poetry. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  .,:,:, 

For  he  wonderfully  combined  the  special 
endowments  of  the  exact  and  truth-seeking 
Scientist  with  those  of  the  meditative  and 
fancy-free  Poet.  This  two-fold  devotion  found 
expression  at  his  graduation,  when  in  addi- 
tion to  the  Latin  Salutatory  he  gave  his 
oration  upon  'The  Poetry  of  Mathematics.' 
Possessed  equally  by  two  passions  often 
thought  contradictory,  in  his  choice  both  of 
his  Commencement  theme  and  of  his  life 
work,  he  gave  full  expression  to  each.  Eager 
to  enter  every  realm  of  nature,  he  selected  as 
the  most  attractive  of  her  domains  the  one  in 
which  Poetry  and  Science  appear  as  har- 
monious allies. 

"  Wendell  had  been  thinking  about  the 
stars  and  listening  to  the  '  music  of  the 
spheres '  from  early  childhood,  and  perhaps 
not  later  than  the  beginning  of  his  Sopho- 
more year  at  Bates  he  had  decided  to  become 
an  Astronomer.  Some  of  his  friends  to  whom 
he  announced  his  choice  regarded  it  as  a 
passing  whim,  or  '  a  young  man's  fancy.'  But 
henceforth  for  him  it  represented  an  unflag- 
ging and  absorbing  pursuit. 

"The  writer  well  remembers  the  impression 
made  by  President  Cheney's  announcement 
in  the  Gymnasium,  after  the  Commencement 
Dinner  of  1868,  that  one  of  the  little  class 
of  five  about  to  leave  Alma  Mater  was  to  be 
an  Astronomer.  On  the  faces  of  some  present 
was  written  scorn,  of  others  admiration,  and 
of  still  others  incredulity.  But  two  months 
later  Wendell  was  at  work  in  Harvard  Col- 
lege Observatory — at  work  with  an  ardor  too 
great  for  his  not  over  firm  health.  For  in 


334  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

1869  serious  illness,  together  with  the  de- 
pression and  care  occasioned  by  his  father's 
death,  compelled  him  to  resign  his  position. 
It  was,  however,  only  when  he  urged  his 
request  that  his  resignation  was  accepted. 
Reluctantly  he  left  the  Observatory,  purpos- 
ing to  return  as  soon  as  he  should  regain  his 
health. 

"This  result,  however,  was  not  easily  at- 
tained ;  and  for  some  ten  years  he  found  it 
necessary  to  engage  in  active  out-door  pur- 
suits. During  this  period  he  did,  indeed, 
listen  to  the  urgent  request  of  President 
Cheney  that  he  should  accept  the  Professor- 
ship of  Astronomy  at  Bates.  But  failing 
health  constrained  him  to  return  to  work  in 
the  open  air,  and  he  accepted  an  appointment 
as  an  Engineer  under  Mr.  James  B.  Francis 
— then  an  eminent  Civil  and  Hydraulic  En- 
gineer in  Lowell,  Mass. 

"  After  holding  this  position  several  years, 
in  February,  1879,  having  regained  his  health, 
upon  the  urgent  solicitation  of  the  Director 
of  the  Harvard  Observatory,  he  returned  to 
his  much  loved  work.  Since  that  time  there 
has  been  no  interruption  in  his  chosen  pur- 
suit, and  since  1898  he  has  held  the  position 
of  Assistant  Professor  of  Astronomy. 

"  His  work  at  the  Observatory  has  included 
observation,  original  investigation,  calcula- 
tions, and  superintending  of  calculations. 
During  the  earlier  years  of  his  service  his 
observations  were  made  with  the  Great 
Equatorial  Telescope,  the  Transit  Circle,  and 
two  Meridian  Photometers.  During  the  last 
twenty  years  he  has  had  sole  charge  of  the 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  335 

Great  Telescope,  has  made  all  the  observa- 
tions with  it,  and  has  superintended  the 
reductions  of  these.  He  took  a  large  part  in 
measuring  with  the  first  Meridian  Photometer 
the  light  of  4,260  stars,  and  in  reducing  the 
more  than  94,000  observations  required.  The 
results,  which  fill  Volume  14  of  the  Obser- 
vatory Annals,  give  the  magnitudes  of  all 
stars  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  from  the  North 
Pole  down  to  35  degrees  below  the  Equator. 
With  the  second  and  larger  Meridian  Photo- 
meter was  measured  the  light  of  21,000  fainter 
stars,  comprising  more  than  267,000  observa- 
tions. Mr.  Wendell  himself  made  nearly  one- 
half  these  observations  and  superintended 
nearly  all  the  reductions.  The  results  fill 
Volume  24  of  the  Observatory  Annals.  The 
discussion  of  these  observations,  contained  in 
Volume  23,  was  also  in  part,  made  by  Mr. 
Wendell.  In  addition  he  superintended  and 
prepared  for  publication  Volume  37  of  the 
Observatory  Annals,  containing  observations 
(partly  made  by  himself)  of  Variable  Stars 
and  Comparison  Stars,  and  extending  over 
ten  years. 

"Of  the  observations  of  more  than  700 
Eclipses  of  Jupiter's  Satellites  made  during 
the  twenty-five  years  from  1878  to  1903  in- 
clusive, and  contained  in  Volume  52,  Part  i, 
just  issued,  Mr.  Wendell  made  the  entire  num- 
ber for  the  ten  years  from  1894  to  1903  in- 
clusive, and  a  part  of  those  taken  previous  to 
that  time.  He  has  also  observed  all  the 
Eclipses  from  1903  to  the  present  time,  and 
has  superintended  nearly  all  the  reductions  of 
these. 


336  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

"In  addition  to  his  current  observations 
he  is  now  doing  what  he  considers  his  best 
work — in  reducing  all  his  observations  with 
the  Great  Telescope  since  1895.  The  results 
will  be  contained  in  Volume  49,  which  he  is 
now  preparing.  Mr.  Wendell  has  discovered 
a  number  of  Variable  Stars,  and  also  the 
variability  in  light  of  two  asteriods,  viz. :  Iris 
and  Eunomia.  One  of  his  specialties  has  been 
Comets  and  Meteors.  He  has  not  only  made 
a  great  many  observations  on  these,  but  has 
also  calculated  the  orbits  of  a  large  number, 
both  of  Comets  and  of  Meteors,  and  has  cal- 
culated the  place  in  the  heavens  from  which 
meteors  belonging  to  different  Comets  should 
radiate. 

"  Professor  Wendell  is  a  member  of  the  fol- 
lowing Scientific  Societies : 

"  i.  Fellow  of  the  American  Academy  of 
Arts  and  Sciences. 

"  2.  Honorary  Member  of  the  Astronomi- 
cal Society  of  Mexico. 

"3.  Member  of  the  Astronomical  and 
Astrophysical  Society  of  America. 

"  4.  Member  of  the  American  Association 
for  the  Advancement  of  Science. 

"  5.  Member  of  the  National  Geographic 
Society  of  Washington. 

"6.  Member  of  the  M.  P.  Club  (a  society 
composed  of  Mathematicians  and  Physicists 
in  Boston  and  Cambridge). 

"7.  Member  of  the  Boston  Scientific 
Society. 

"  During  the  thirty-nine  years  since  his 
graduation,  Mr.  Wendell's  loyalty  to  Bates 
has  been  steady  and  intense.  He  loves  to 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  837 

visit  '  the  old  familiar  places  '  and  to  live  over 
his  college  days  with  all  their  cherished  hopes. 
It  has  been  the  dream  of  his  Bates  friends 
and  of  those  most  deeply  interested  in  the 
College  that  he  should  sometime  return  to  his 
Alma  Mater  and  preside  over  the  long  coveted 
observatory  that  shall,  we  trust,  yet  crown 
our  beautiful  Mount  David. 

"  In  school,  in  college,  and  in  life,  Mr. 
Wendell  has  been  an  earnest,  consistent,  and 
active  Christian.  For  him  there  is  no  con- 
flict between  Science  and  Religion." 

Excerpts  from    President    Chase's    report   for 
1906-1907. 

THE    FUTURE    OF    BATES    DEPENDENT    UPON     HER 
STANDARDS    OF   CHARACTER   AND    SCHOLARSHIP 

"  The  reputation  of  Bates  for  devotion  to 
high  ideals  of  character  and  scholarship  has 
been  the  chief  factor  in  promoting  her  won- 
derful growth  in  numbers  and  influence. 
This  reputation  must  be  maintained.  Bates 
has  a  distinct  individuality,  and  the  attempts 
that  are  sometimes  made  to  introduce 
fashions,  customs  and  traditions  alien  to  her 
spirit  and  aims  are  harmful  to  her  growth 
and  destructive  of  her  best  hopes  for  the 
future.  It  is  the  unsolicited  testimony  of 
hundreds  of  well-known  educators  that  Bates 
is  a  safe  College  for  those  who  value  character 
as  the  highest  of  human  attainments.  It  is 
the  well-earned  reputation  of  our  College  for 
'plain  living  and  high  thinking'  that  is 
bringing  her  annually  more  students  than  all 


338  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

other  causes  combined.  It  has  been  only  by 
constant  vigilance,  and  the  sacred  sense  of 
responsibility  on  the  part  of  her  Faculty  and 
friends  that  this  reputation  has  been  gained. 
Character,  other  things  being  equal,  always 
contributes  to  scholarship.  The  first  care  of 
the  Institution  should  be  to  maintain  and 
strengthen  that  good  name  which,  while 
better  than  great  riches,  is  in  the  final  result 
the  surest  guaranty  of  Funds,  Buildings, — 
of  material  prosperity  in  all  its  forms. 

"  Partly  because  so  many  of  the  students 
at  Bates  are  earning  their  own  way,  but  still 
more  because  of  the  purpose  and  spirit  of  the 
College  itself,  maintained  steadily  from  the 
first,  Bates  is  truly  a  democratic  institution. 
She  knows  no  social  distinctions,  no  cliques. 
In  the  early  days  of  Bates,  one  of  her  admir- 
ers was  describing  the  character  and  aims  of 
the  College  to  the  president  of  another  insti- 
tution. '  We  are  aiming  to  make  it  a  college 
where  poor  boys  can  get  an  education,'  he 
said.  '  But,'  rejoined  the  other,  '  we  have 
poor  boys  in  our  institution,  too.'  'And  are 
they  on  the  same  social  footing  as  the  rich 
boys  ?'  '  Why  no,  of  course  not.  The  rich 
»fellows  go  together,  and  the  poor  boys  keep 
by  themselves.'  Bates  has  always  remained 
true  to  the  purpose  with  which  she  began. 

HARMONY    BETWEEN    FACULTY    AND    STUDENTS 

The  growing  harmony  between  the  Faculty  and 
the  students  of  Bates  is  due  in  large  measure  to 
the  devotion  of  each  teacher  to  the  welfare  of 
every  student  in  the  College.  It  has  been  the 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  339 

mission  of  Bates  to  afford  opportunities  for  culture 
to  hundreds  of  students  that  without  her  aid  never 
would   have  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  college. 
These  young  men  and  young  women  freely  bring 
to  their  teachers  their  own  wants,  difficulties,  pri- 
vations and  fears.     Many  of  them  must  have  em- 
ployment in  vacations  and  during  term  time,  in 
hours  which  under  other  conditions  they  would 
devote  to  social  life  and  recreation.     The  need  of 
a  Bates  student  for  remunerative  work  is  the  im- 
mediate concern    of   every  one   of   his  teachers. 
No  worthy  student    can    be    permitted    to  leave 
college  for  lack  of  means  till  every  possible  effort 
has  been  made  to  secure  him  needed  employment. 
"  How  much  money  must  I  have,  in  order  to  start 
upon  my  college  course  ?"  is  a  question  that  the 
President  of  Bates  answers  scores  of  times  every 
year.     For  some  time  past  systematic  efforts  have 
been  made  through  a  committee  of  the  Faculty  to 
obtain    work   suited    to    the    needs    and    powers 
of  deserving  students,  with  the  result   that   the 
long  list  of  services  that  a  student  may  render  in 
working  his  way  steadily  grows  and  the  prospect 
for  earnest  young   men   and   young  women   con- 
stantly brightens. 

Nor  is  sympathy  between  students  and  Faculty 
exhausted  in  efforts  to  meet  these  practical 
difficulties.  There  is  a  large  development  of  com- 
mon, social,  intellectual,  and  spiritual  interests ; 
and  the  experience  of  friends  older  and  more 


340  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

mature  than  themselves  is  freely  drawn  upon  by 
students  struggling  with  the  doubts,  perplexities 
and  depressions  inevitable  to  those  entering  the 
larger  realms  of  thought  and  knowledge. 

STUDENT   ADVISERS 

During  the  second  term  of  the  year  a  system 
was  adopted  under  which  each  young  man  is 
brought  into  personal  friendly  relations  with  some 
member  of  the  Faculty.  This  system  has  proved 
very  helpful  in  promoting  harmony  in  spirit  and 
purpose,  and,  as  its  merits  are  further  developed, 
it  is  believed  that  it  proves  of  great  value  in  hold- 
ing the  College  true  to  the  important  work  of 
correcting  individual  deficiencies  in  character,  of 
imparting  definite  aims  and  high  ideals,  and  of 
aiding  each  young  man  to  realize  his  best  possi- 
bilities. 

Bates  desires  to  do  the  proper  work  of  a  small 
college ;  that  is,  a  college  in  which  each  teacher 
may  have  a  personal  acquaintance  with  each  stu- 
dent, and  each  student  with  every  other  student. 
With  four  hundred  students  or  more  this  result  is 
not  so  easily  gained  as  in  the  Bates  of  fifteen  years 
ago,  with  one-third  of  the  present  attendance.  But 
it  is  believed  that  our  system  of  student  advisers, 
under  which  every  student  may  have  the  benefit 
of  intimate  friendship  with  those  of  maturer  years 
and  may  receive  unobtrusive  and  kindly  advice  in 
regard  to  courses  of  study,  reading,  recreation, 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  341 

College  associations,  and  opportunities  and  plans 
for  future  study  and  work,  will  enable  our  College 
even  more  effectively  than  ever  before,  to  impart 
her  best  and  most  inspiring  influences  to  all  who 
seek  her  aid.  In  all  her  higher  efforts  Bates  has 
found  the  College  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
her  efficient  allies. 

ATHLETICS    AND    PHYSICAL    CULTURE 

More  interest  than  usual  has  been  taken  in 
general  Physical  Culture  and  in  Hygiene,  and  a 
larger  number  of  students  than  ever  before  at 
Bates  have  been  interested  in  methodical,  health- 
ful exercise,  under  the  direction  of  intelligent 
specialists.  Bates  has  made  a  successful  effort  to 
avoid  an  error  prevalent  in  colleges — the  concen- 
tration of  the  interest  of  the  entire  student  body 
upon  intercollegiate  contests  in  which  relatively 
few  can  participate. 

That,  however,  there  has  been  due  attention  to 
the  more  exciting  sports  and  games  is  shown  by 
the  results  obtained  in  baseball,  football,  tennis 
and  track  athletics.  In  football  Bates  won  the 
championship  last  fall  in  the  series  of  contests 
among  the  four  higher  Maine  institutions  of  learn- 
ing. In  baseball  she  took  the  second  place  and 
it  is  but  fair  to  say  that  a  result  even  more  satis- 
factory would,  doubtless,  have  been  gained  had  it 
not  been  for  the  serious  and  persistent  illness  of 
some  of  our  best  athletes. 


342  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF 

It  is  believed  that  a  good  degree  of  success  has 
been  obtained  in  preventing  an  inordinate  interest 
in  Athletics,  and  in  holding  Physical  Culture  and 
Training  in  proper  subordination  to  the  develop- 
ment of  culture  of  heart  and  mind.  Bates  will  not 
tolerate  poor  scholarship  for  the  sake  of  a  good 
showing  in  Athletics.  She  means  to  be,  and  be- 
lieves she  is,  entirely  free  from  anything  approach- 
ing professionalism  in  Athletics. 

URGENT    NEEDS    OF    BATES 
INCREASED    ENDOWMENT 

Bates  still  needs  a  largely  increased  endowment. 
Our  success  in  completing  the  Carnegie  Fund  is 
but  a  happy  beginning  of  a  work  to  be  continued 
until  our  Professors  can  be  adequately  remuner- 
ated, additional  instructors  employed,  and  an  in- 
come be  assured  sufficient  to  maintain  a  steady 
growth  in  our  Library,  the  annual  purchase  of 
apparatus  for  progressive  work  in  our  laboratories 
and  a  proper  care  of  our  grounds  and  buildings. 
I  have  already  called  the  attention  to  our  need  of 
a  Professorship  of  Education.  Our  growing  stu- 
dent body  requires  that  as  soon  as  practicable  more 
teachers  shall  be  employed  in  the  great  Depart- 
ments of  Mathematics  and  of  the  Ancient  and  the 
Modern  Languages.  Additional  assistance  in 
Chemistry,  Physics  and  Biology  will  greatly  in- 
crease the  value  of  our  work  in  these  subjects. 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  343 

At  an  early  day  the  duties  now  assigned  to  one 
man  as  a  teacher  of  History,  Economics  and 
Sociology  should  engage  the  attention  of  at  least 
two  teachers ;  and  the  work  in  these  Departments 
should  be  at  once  more  specific  and  more  compre- 
hensive. To  effect  these  purposes,  we  need  fur- 
ther to  increase  our  Fund  by  the  addition  of  at 
least  $500,000.  Of  this  amount  $50,000  should 
be  devoted  to  the  Chair  of  Education,  and  a 
second  $50,000  could  be  wisely  used  as  a  per- 
manent Fund  for  the  Library. 

FURTHER    NEEDS 

Our  last  annual  Catalogue  has  summarized  our 
further  needs  substantially  as  follows : 

1.  $100,000  for  the  erection  and  equipment  of 
Science  Buildings ; — $60,000  for  a  Building  for  the 
Department  of  Physics,  and  $40,000  for  the  De- 
partment   of    Natural    History   and    Biology.     A 
Building  for  the  Department  of  Physics  cannot  be 
erected  too  soon  to  meet  our  urgent  and  growing 
needs  in  this  direction. 

2.  $20,000  for  doubling  the   capacity  of  the 
present  Chemical  Laboratory.     This  improvement 
should  not  be  delayed  a  day  beyond   the  time  ab- 
solutely necessary  for  effecting  it. 

3.  $10,000  for  renovating  Science    Hall   and 
thoroughly  equipping  it  as  a  Dormitory. 

4.  $5,000  to  pay  for  the  furnishing  of  Coram 
Library  and  to  secure  additional  appliances. 


344  LIFE  AND  WORK  OF  « 

5.  $150,000  for  additional  scholarships. 

6.  $60,000  for  the  erection  and  maintenance  of 
a  Gymnasium  for  our  men   students.     This  need 
is  imperative. 

7.  $100,000  for  the  erection  and  maintenance 
of  an  Astronomical  Observatory  and  the  support 
of  its  Director. 

8.  $50,000  for  the  erection  of  a  College  Chapel. 

9.  $10,000  for  the  grading   and   improvement 
of  our  campus. 

10.  $20,000  to  complete  the  amount  required 
for  the  erection  of  the  New  Dormitory. 

The  present  financial  condition  of  the  Institu- 
tion is  shown  by  the  report  of  the  Treasurer,  Hon. 
F.  M.  Drew : 

During  the  past  fourteen  years,  the  assets  of  the 
College  from  which  our  income  is  derived  have 
annually  increased,  as  shown  by  the  following 
table : 

May  31,  1894,         Assets        $317,850.45 
"      "     1895,  «  318,040.58 

"      "     1896,  "  320,772.08 

"      "     i897,  "  338,369.69 

"      "     1898,  "  340,281.10 

"      "     1899,  "  352>639-33 

"      "    1900,  "  356>545-32 

"      "    1901,  "  366,199.47 

"      "     1902,  "  368,265.82 

"  4°5»525-I5 

"  412,387.97 


OREN  B.  CHENEY  345 


May  31,  1905,         Assets 

$421,487.06 

"      "     1906,             " 

428,932.77 

"      "     1907,             " 

532,352.40 

And  it  will  be  satisfactory  to  know  that  during 
these  fourteen  years  nothing  has  been  lost  by  in- 
vestment, and  the  losses  which  have  come  were 
from  investments  made  prior  to  1894,  showing 
the  care  and  wisdom  which  your  Executive  Board 
have  exercised  in  the  management  of  your  funds. 

Since  the  report  of  the  Treasurer  was  published 
the  assets  of  Bates  have  been  further  increased  by 
the  payment  of  $50,000  subscribed  by  the  late 
Bartlett  Doe  of  San  Francisco,  thus  carrying  the 
total  of  the  income  bearing  resources  of  the  Col- 
lege, $582,352.40. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
1  his  book  is  DU1         the  last  d  <       -fi-  '  ' 


3UILD»N 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBflAR 


—^ 

000  962  909     8 


BORROWERS 


LB 
331 
B717 
1857 


5NLY 


